Jimmy Choo, legendary shoe designer, discusses his rise from son of a shoe-making family in Malaysia, through the doors of London College of Fashion, to becoming one of the most iconic names in the shoe industry.
Mention “Jimmy Choo” and elegant, exquisitely crafted shoes immediately come to mind. Famed for making shoes for the late Princess Diana, Prof Choo’s beautiful creations have adorned the feet of royalty, celebrities and pop stars.
Choo, the son of a reputable shoe designer in Malaysia, spent his early years on the island of Penang working as his father’s young apprentice. Determined to master the art of shoe design, he came to London in the 1980’s to study footwear at Cordwainers College. Today, Choo’s presence is forefront in two main areas, namely, at his couture house on charming little Connaught Street, where he still actively works with his team in the design and production of bespoke handmade shoes bearing the Jimmy Choo Couture label; and in his firm support for education, as Ambassador for Footwear Education at the London College of Fashion (formerly Cordwainers College).
In his Smart Talk at Beijing Institute of Fashion and Technology, which included a live sketching masterclass, Jimmy Choo discussed with students his rise from son of a shoe-making family in Malaysia, through the doors of London College of Fashion, to becoming one of the most iconic names in the shoe industry.