Jimmy Choo on making it big in the fashion industry
The fashion juggernaut talks everything from designing high heels for high society to connecting with a higher beingThe more I researched for my interview with Professor Jimmy Choo, OBE the less I realised I knew about the man behind the eponymous shoe brand.
Did you know for example, that Choo sold his stake in Jimmy Choo Ltd back in 2001? After his departure, the brand which Choo co-founded with British Vogue’s Tamara Mellon took a route more focused on mass production, while Choo shifted his focus to the exclusive ‘Jimmy Choo Couture’ line.
These days Choo is primarily based in Kuala Lumpur and still very much involved in the world of fashion and design. He makes shoes for friends, family and a privileged few under his Chinese name, “Zhou Yang Jie.” Choo was recently invited to Bangkok where he presented Her Majesty Queen Sirikit with a pair of handcrafted shoes which will be put on exhibition inside the Grand Palace at the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles.
He is heavily invested in education, charity work and promoting his birth country, Malaysia. And he collaborates on a number of other lines including The Atelier, a wedding dress and evening gown company of which he is creative director and works on alongside his designer nephew, Yew Lau.
“I want to help create more talented designers through focusing on education” he tells me when we meet in mid-December at the Kowloon Shangri-La.
Indeed Choo’s success isn’t without struggle and sacrifice. “I didn’t come from a rich family, my father wasn’t rich so I had to do everything myself. London is so expensive, when you start a business you have to do what you can, that can include making cheaper shoes, or selling on the markets. I’m strong and I never give up. If I didn’t carry on then you wouldn’t see me here today and be able to interview me.” He smiles.
His humble roots are perhaps, in part what have helped him persevere where others have given up, and his background has certainly influenced his path into education. “Young designers need more than just hard work to succeed in today’s fashion industry, they need a good idea, creativity and skill. Just working hard is no good.” Choo emphasises the importance of mentorship within the fashion industry saying, “It’s common; Alexander Mcqueen, John Galliano, Stella McCartney, they all studied under a mentor.” Choo goes on to mention Taiwanese accessories designer Iliza Ho whom he mentored for seven years and just recently won Best Accessories Designer Of The Year award at the 2018 Malaysia Fashion Week “When I see the people who I train and support doing well, I am very happy.”
It’s this work ethic, combined with his endearing character and incomparable knowledge of shoe design that have made him such a highly-regarded household name. His client list includes Madonna and former US First Lady Michelle Obama. He recalls, “Patsy Kensit and Elaine Paige supported me when I first started. I’ve also made shoes for many high-level politicians and Hollywood stars including Katie Holmes, all these people are important to me because when they support me, they support my team.”
Of all of the shoes he has designed, Choo is most proud of the pair he designed for Princess Diana just before she died. “She passed away on August 31, I had made an appointment with her PA and I was supposed to give her the shoes, but I didn’t get the chance. After she died, people wanted to buy the shoes to use them in an exhibition, I asked them, ‘Why? To make money?’ I will always keep this pair of shoes because she always supported me, wherever she travelled she would call me for the shoes, so I give thanks to her for allowing me to make shoes for her.”
Choo has an incomprehensible knowledge, not to mention charm, charisma, and an infectious energy. “I’m not old,” he tells me, “I don’t feel old. In Malaysia, our Prime Minister [Mahathir Bin Mohamad] is 93 years old, most people want to relax at that age. People can live to over 100 years old, but it depends how strong the mind is.”
As my time with Choo draws to a close, I ask the widely-reported Buddhist for some advice on life “Try to be humble.” he says, “Be nice to people and it’s so important not to lose your temper, because at the end of the day you’ll only be upsetting yourself.” Such wise advice that will do nicely as I set my own goals for 2019.
