Jimmy Choo

This article is about the shoe designer. For the company bearing his name, see Jimmy Choo Ltd.

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Choo (周).

Jimmy Choo
Born	Penang, Malaysia
Occupation	Shoe designer

Dato' Jimmy Choo, OBE, born Choo Yeang Keat, (Chinese: 周仰杰) is a Malaysian fashion designer based in London, United Kingdom. He is best known for founding Jimmy Choo Ltd that became known for its handmade women's shoes.

Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia, into a family of shoemakers, who are of Chinese Hakka descent. His family name is Chow but was misspelled on his birth certificate as Choo. He made his first shoe when he was 11 years old. He is perhaps the most notable of students of Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney, England, from which he graduated in 1983. (The college is now part of the London College of Fashion.) Choo has divulged that he worked part time at restaurants and as a cleaner at a shoe factory to help fund his college education.

Jimmy Choo's beginnings can be traced back to his workshop in Hackney, North London, which he opened in 1986 by renting an old hospital building. His craftsmanship and designs were soon noticed and he came to the verge of international notability when his creations were featured in a record eight pages in a 1988 issue of Vogue. Patronage from Diana, Princess of Wales, from 1990 further boosted his image.

In 1996, he co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd with British Vogue magazine accessories editor Tamara Mellon.

In April 2001, Choo sold his 50% stake in the company for £10 million. He has since concentrated his work on the exclusive Jimmy Choo Couture line produced under license from Jimmy Choo Ltd. The Jimmy Choo London line, also known as Jimmy Choo Ready-To-Wear or, simply, Jimmy Choo, is under the purview of Mellon. The ready-to-wear line has expanded to include accessories such as handbags.

Kavita Sidhu, Jimmy Choo, a local businessman, Andrea Fonseka and Amber Chia

Choo lives in London and is currently involved in a project to set up a shoemaking institute in Malaysia, where his iconic status is often evoked to inspire budding shoemakers and fashion designers. Jimmy Choo Ltd. produces some of the most expensive high-end shoes.

Awards

• 2000: Bestowed a state award carrying the title of Dato' by the Sultan of Pahang state in Malaysia for his achievements
• 2002: Conferred an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in recognition of his services to the shoe and fashion industry in the UK.
• 2004: Awarded the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of his home state of Penang, which also carries the title Dato'
• Awarded an honorary doctorate in art in July 2004 by De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K., for his contribution to their unique Single Honours Footwear Design degree

External links

• jimmychoo.com
• Jimmy Choo designer profile at Fashion Model Directory
• Jimmy Choo Bio at FashionVue
• Jimmy Choo Bio
• How Jimmy Choo 'lost' his name
• London College of Fashion Alumni Interview