Wikipedia

Jimmy Choo

This article is about the shoe designer. For the company bearing his name, seeJimmy Choo Ltd.For other people, seeJim Chou (disambiguation).
In thisChinese name,thefamily nameisChoo(Chu).

Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat(born 15 November 1948[1]) is a Malaysian fashion designer based in the United Kingdom. He co-foundedJimmy Choo Ltd,which became known for its handmade women's shoes.[2]

Yang BerbahagiaDatuk
Jimmy Choo
PJNDIMPDSPNOBE
Choo at the Red Dot Awards in 2016
Born
Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat

(1948-11-15)15 November 1948(age 76)
George Town,Crown Colony of Penang
Alma materCordwainers Technical College
OccupationFashion designer
SpouseDatinRebecca Choi
Children2, includingDanny
Chinese name
Traditional ChineseChu ngưỡng kiệt
Simplified ChineseChu ngưỡng kiệt
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōu Yǎngjié
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingZau1 Joeng5 Git6
Southern Min
HokkienPOJChiu Gióng-kia̍t
Tâi-lôTsiu Gióng-kia̍t

Early life

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Choo was born in 1948 in theCrown Colony of Penang,Malaysia,into a family ofshoemakers.OfChinesedescent, his family name isChew(Chinese:Chu), but it was misspelled on hisbirth certificateas Choo. Choo's father, a shoemaker who made all of his shoes by hand, taught him the craft. "My parents were shoemakers and I have followed my father's lead. He inspired me," said Jimmy Choo.[3]He made his first pair of shoes when he was 11 years old—a pair of slippers.[4][5][6]

Between 1982 and 1984, Choo studied at Cordwainers Technical College inHackney(now part of theLondon College of Fashion) in London.[7]He went to a design firm to work after graduation, wishing to remain in London permanently instead of returning to Malaysia.[5]

Career

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After college, Choo worked at two design companies for a total of nine years before starting his own business. Choo initially started with the help of thePrince's Trust.Choo's parents emigrated to Britain to help him get started, and he eventually expanded the business by opening his first shop in 1986, renting an old hospital building. His craftsmanship and designs were soon noticed atLondon Fashion Weekin 1988. After seeing his creations,Voguefeatured his shoes in an eight page spread. Choo has said that his designs became significantly more popular after theVoguecoverage.[5]Patronage fromPrincess Dianain the early 1990s further bolstered his image.[5]

In 1996, Choo co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd. withBritishVoguemagazine accessories editorTamara Mellon.[8]In April 2001, Choo sold his 50% stake in the company for £10 million.[8]He has since concentrated his work on the exclusive Jimmy Choo couture line produced under license from Jimmy Choo Ltd.[9]The Jimmy Choo London line, also known as Jimmy Choo Ready-To-Wear or, simply, Jimmy Choo, is under the purview of Tamara Mellon. The ready-to-wear line has expanded to include accessories such as handbags.

In 2009, Choo claimed that his brand was a favourite ofDiana, Princess of Wales.[10]

In 2023, Greek rap avant-garde artist Roi 6/12 released his album "Strip club" with the single "Jimmy Choo" which mentions the designer. The lyrics recite how wearing shoes designed by Jimmy Choo assists in the achievement of an extramarital affair between a male and a female.[11]

Choo at TEDxShanghai in 2012

Awards and honours

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  • 2002: Appointed anOBE(Officer of theOrder of the British Empire) in recognition of his services to the shoe and fashion industry in the UK
  • 2004: Awarded anhonorary doctoratein art byDe Montfort University,Leicester, UK, for his contribution to their unique Single Honours Footwear Design degree
  • 2009: Awarded an Honorary Fellowship byUniversity of the Arts London[12]
  • 2011: Winner of "The World's Outstanding Malaysian Designer 2011" Design for Asia Award for the "Daniel" part
  • 2011: Winner of the "Outstanding Chinese Designer Award" for his accomplishments in the footwear industry.[6]
  • 2012: Received You Bring Charm to the World – the Most Influential Malaysian Award
  • 2013: Became a member of theRed Dotproduct design jury.[13]

Honours of Malaysia

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International honours

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References

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  1. ^https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jimmy-Choo
  2. ^https://row.jimmychoo.com/en/careers-page/careers-about.html
  3. ^Goldstein Crowe, Laura; Maceira de Rosen, Sagra (2009).The Towering World of Jimmy OP. A Glamorous Story of Power, Profits, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Shoe.New York, Berlin, London: Bloomsbury. p. 13.ISBN978-1-59691-391-2.
  4. ^"The Jimmy Choo connection".Archived from the original on 14 March 2015.Retrieved18 June2014.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^abcd"How boy from Penang became shoemaker of choice for British royals".South China Morning Post.Retrieved11 July2018.
  6. ^ab"Jimmy Choo Honoured".British Vogue.2 December 2011.Retrieved4 October2023.
  7. ^"London College of Fashion (formerly Cordwainers College) – Jimmy Choo OBE".Association of Colleges.Archived fromthe originalon 5 April 2018.Retrieved4 April2018.
  8. ^abSolomon, Michael."Luxury Lineage: A Brief History of Jimmy Choo".Forbes.Retrieved11 July2018.
  9. ^"Jimmy Choo finds right fit with sole couture line".GMA News Online.21 April 2014.Retrieved11 July2018.
  10. ^Moss, Hilary (9 November 2009)."Jimmy Choo: I was Princess Diana's Shoemaker".Huffington Post.Retrieved10 December2012.
  11. ^Roi 6/12 – Jimmy Choo,retrieved10 January2025
  12. ^"UAL Honorary Fellows and Doctorates".arts.ac.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 15 December 2012.Retrieved5 April2018.
  13. ^"Red Dot Design Award: Icon of the fashion world: Dato' Professor Jimmy Choo debuts as a red dot juror in 2013".en.red-dot.org.Retrieved5 April2018.
  14. ^"Michelle Yeoh, Jimmy Choo, Zang Toi Antara Penerima Pingat".mStar(in Malay). 1 June 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 2 November 2023.Retrieved2 November2023.
  15. ^Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri's birthday honours listTheStar.com.my, 10 July 2004

Further reading

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