Jimmy Choo - Jimmy Choo Biography, Fashion Designer Jimmy Choo Profile & Collection

Jimmy Choo

Birth: 1961
Place of birth: Penang
Couture line: Jimmy Choo Ltd.

This London based luxury fashion designer is best known for his hand made women's shoe. Jimmy Choo has acquired prominence for his company in the fashion industry with his exclusive line of craftsmanship in both being a shoemaker and a designer. He has now redirected his energies in setting up a shoe making institute in Malyasia where his iconic image is an inspiration to budding shoemakers and fashion designers.

Early Life
Jimmy Choo was born in Penang in 1961 in a family of shoemakers. He first hand at shoemaking was when he was 11 years old. He graduated in the year 1983 from the Cordwainers' Technical College in London. He worked part time in restaurants and at a shoe factory to make that extra buck to finance his studies. It was perhaps in 1986 when Choo began his career as a shoemaker when he started his workshop in Hackney in East London. His craftsmanship and designs were soon observed as he attained international fame with his creations which were featured in a record eight pages of Vogue magazine in a 1988 issue. In the year 1996 he along with "British Vogue" accessories editor Tamara Mellon founded the company Jimmy Choo Ltd.

Promotions and Success
From a small workshop to a premier brand, Jimmy's journey as a shoemaker has earned him not only name and fame but also a lot of awards. His work were admired and he has been credited globally for his art of designing. Some of the awards he has received are:

In the year 2000 he was bestowed a state award carrying the title of Dato' by the Sultan of Pahang state in Malaysia for his achievements.

In the year 2002 he was conferred an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his services to the shoe and fashion industry in the UK.

In the year 2004 Choo was 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'.

He has also been awarded a fellowship by the University of the Arts London, conferring the use of the title Professor.

Brand and Clientele
The company Jimmy Choo Ltd which started as a shoe making house has extended into the other sectors of the fashion world. It has produced its exclusive line of Couture collection and has also gone onto producing accessories such as hand bags. The company has expanded across the globe and garnered a slew of celebrity clientele. The late Diana, Princess of Wales, was a huge fan of Choo's designs. He is said to have lost count of the number of shoes he made for Princess Diana.