Jimmy Choo is mentoring and inspiring up-and-coming fashion designers

Soft afternoon light filters through a boutique’s floor-to-ceiling windows as a bride steps forward, her breath catching as she sees the line of Jimmy Choo heels on display. Each stiletto is a work of art; crystal-encrusted pumps glimmer with possibility, trendy platforms and satin-finished heels in soft blush and ivory.

The heels evoke the same electric excitement that A-list celebrities feel on the red carpet when donning the luxury craftsmanship behind Jimmy Choo shoes. But, the story of the man behind the eponymous brand is even more captivating than the footwear itself.

In 1996, the brand was born from a collaboration between the Malaysian-born Jimmy Choo, a skilled cobbler and fashion designer from Penang, Malaysia, and British Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon. Choo, trained in shoemaking by his father, created handmade shoes in London’s East End, meticulously crafting each pair with an artisan’s precision.

“He was my teacher who taught me that skills are to be shared with others and my legacy is nurturing the next generation.”

What began in a tiny workshop in 1986 transformed into a global luxury empire a decade later. Choo was more artist than businessman, creating exquisite, made-to-order shoes for his clientele around the world, which became equated with red carpet glamour and bridal elegance. As an Asian man in the industry, Choo’s mission was to build a personal brand that started off catering to and then recognized by a European audience, and quickly expanded globally. “Having studied in the U.K., I began to understand the culture and what was suitable for a European demographic. Asia back then was not as advanced as it is now. London had all the top notch machinery that helped me train and establish my art and be accepted when I first started,” he tells JoySauce.

A lot has changed since Choo’s cobbler days, especially in the ever-evolving world of fashion. “Fashion is not what it used to be back when I used to watch my father make shoes. Now, with the widespread use of the Internet and AI technology, fashion progresses too quickly so whatever you do has to be done fast to meet the demand,” he adds.

In the curated space of the JCA Retail Gallery, a student-led retail store that is part exhibition and part pop-up store in the heart of London, Choo leans forward and shares his desire to pay it forward. “My father was more than a shoemaker,” he says. “He was my teacher who taught me that skills are to be shared with others and my legacy is nurturing the next generation.” This philosophy has become the heartbeat of Choo’s latest mission: Nurturing the next wave of design talent through the JCA London Fashion Academy.