Jimmy Choo Shoes
The first standalone luxury footwear brand to go public, Jimmy Choo is an internationally renowned fashion house, and its bold Romy stilettos, glitzy Bing mules and sleek, minimalist Minori boots dazzle on red carpets, wedding reception dancefloors and in oft-Instagrammed restaurant interiors all over the world.
Jimmy Choo was born Zhou Yang Jie in 1948 in Penang, Malaysia. Growing up, the young Mr. Choo showed an early interest in the family business — his father was a prominent shoe designer in Penang — and made his first pair of shoes in his father’s workshop at the age of 11.
Choo moved to England in his early 20s to attend Cordwainers Technical College. He subsequently worked for a couple of footwear manufacturers and honed his skills. In 1986, Choo set up a modest handmade shoe business in East London. Ten years later, with the support of Vogue magazine's fashion editor at the time, Tamara Mellon, Jimmy Choo Ltd. went global with clothing, purses and accessories largely crafted in Italy and stores in Manhattan, Beverly Hills and elsewhere.
The Jimmy Choo brand quickly gained a reputation for its sophisticated and elegant footwear designs, which were often adorned with luxurious materials like Swarovski crystals, pearls, and exotic animal skins. The company became a favorite among celebrities, including Princess Diana, who wore Choo on an official visit to Australia. Choo gifted a pair of heels — now on display at the Smithsonian — to Michelle Obama for the presidential inauguration of her husband, Barack Obama. The TV series Sex in the City, which regularly celebrated Manolos and made a star of Fendi’s iconic Baguette, featured countless pairs of Jimmy Choo heels that heightened the visibility of the brand and cemented Choo’s legendary status in footwear and design.
In 2001, Choo sold his share of the company to Tamara Mellon and private equity firm Equinox Luxury Holdings, but he continued to work as a designer for the brand until 2011 before launching a new luxury footwear brand, Jimmy Choo Couture, which specializes in bespoke shoes and handbags.
Over the course of his career, Choo has been recognized for his contributions to the fashion industry, having earned numerous awards and accolades. In 2002, he was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire), and in 2011, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Footwear News Achievement Awards.
And shoe design is still a family business, as two of Choo’s nieces both work in fashion — Sandra Choi is creative director at Jimmy Choo, while his other niece, Lucy Choi, founded her shoe label in London in 2012.
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Designers Similar to Jimmy Choo
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024Jimmy Choo is neither Chinese nor Japanese. The designer is actually Malaysian. He was born Zhou Yang Jie in Penang, Malaysia, in 1948. He was inspired by watching the work of his father, who was a shoe designer, and at the age of 11, he made his first pair of shoes for his mom's birthday. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Jimmy Choo shoes and accessories.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To tell if your Jimmy Choo bag is real, first examine the tag. Most bags have an enameled metal logo attached to a sewn-on leather tag that bears a "Made in Italy" stamp. Closely study the "H" in Choo. On an authentic tag, the crossbar will be about 75 percent of the way from the bottom of the letter. Fake bags often place the crossbar in the middle. Also, check for the hardware. The fashion house only uses flathead screws with a clearly stamped logo. Find a variety of expertly vetted Jimmy Choo bags on 1stDibs.