Jimmy Choo is a name that any self-respecting shoe diva is more than familiar with, but not many know much more about him than that he must have some killer fashion sense because his name graces shoes we all adore. Who would have thought that his story could lend a few story lines to a daytime Soap Opera? So read on to see what’s really behind the name…

Mr. Jimmy Choo was born in 1961 in Pedang, Malaysia to a family well versed in the ways of shoes. His father was an established shoemaker and owned his own store, Choo Kee Yin Shoemakers. At the tender age of eleven, one could say Jimmy began what was to be his lifelong passion when he made his first pair of shoes.

In the early 1980′s, he relocated to London to perfect his cobbling skills while pursuing an education at Cordwainers Technical College, now known as the London College of Fashion. He graduated in 1983 and around this time he began his first label, Lucky Shoes, which he sold out of a stall on the South Bank. In 1986, Jimmy succeeded in opening his own store in Hackney, East London where he created his beautifully handmade shoes for the likes of Princess Diana. One of Jimmy Choo’s biggest turning points, for both the man and the brand, happened in 1988 when Tamara Mellon, the UK Vogue accessories editor, featured the designer in an eight page spread in the magazine. Not only did this mark the beginning of this duo’s relationship, but it also assisted in increasing traffic to the by now overworked shoemaker’s store. Jimmy needed help, and a year later in 1989 Choo’s niece Sandra Choi began working full time at his workshop to help relieve some of the massive load he had taken on.

By this time, Tamara Mellon had quit the magazine and was interested in beginning her own company. She contacted Jimmy with the hopes of creating an entire line of shoes branded ‘Jimmy Choo’ that could be sold in actual department stores and the like. A deal was struck in 1996 and the brand as we know it was born. Jimmy and Tamara formed ‘Jimmy Choo ltd’ and he agreed to shoes bearing his name to be manufactured in Italy. Jimmy served as a silent partner, and it was Tamara who became the managing director and began calling all the shots. The start was rocky to say the least, and the two found a disconnect between the designer’s skills at hand-making shoes, and designing an entire relatively ‘mass-produced’ collection. There had to be a collection produced, though, or Jimmy could legally be sued by Mellon. Luckily, Choi came to the rescue when she discovered a newfound talent and sketched 30 shoes to make up the first full collection.

The following year, 1997, brought both joy and sorrow for Jimmy. The first Jimmy Choo store opened on Montcombe street in London, but Jimmy’s niece Sandra defected to Tamara’s side of the business due to the stress and long hours of working for both Tamara and Jimmy. Due to Jimmy’s and Tamara’s tumultuous relationship, this naturally created a rift between uncle and niece and sadly the two did not speak for a long time to come.

Jimmy Choo the brand continued to thrive, and by 2000 more stores opened in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Jimmy himself was awarded the name of Accessory Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council, but even this event was not without turmoil. Tamara Mellon had lobbied to replace Jimmy at the televised event, contesting that she was the driving force behind the brand and so deserved the award. Luckily Jimmy had by this point hired a lawyer and publicist who were able to thwart the challenge. However, by 2001, it seems Jimmy had gone through enough drama and Jimmy Choo the man and Jimmy Choo the brand went their separate ways. Jimmy sold off his 50% stake in the company for 10 million pounds to Equinox Luxury Holdings Ltd.

This was not the end for him by any means though. In 2003 he was awarded an OBE by the Queen of England for helping to make London a design center of the world for the fashion industry. Jimmy was also granted the right to license the name ‘Jimmy Choo Couture’ and began running his own business, by appointment only, out of his London store. Cordwainers has since named him a Professor and he often enjoys lecturing there in his free time.

As for the brand Jimmy Choo, Tamara Mellon, and Sandra Choi went nowhere but up. They are responsible for what we see today because of their business savvy and fabulous designs. By 2004, less than 10 years from the outset of the company, Lion Capital acquired a majority shareholding in Jimmy Choo and valued the company at a respectable $101 million pounds. Just two years later in ’06, Jimmy Choo stores were opening on an impressive average of one every two weeks and there would be 40 stores by the end of the year. By this time the celebrity factor was also in full swing and it had been almost 10 years since Jimmy Choo’s had started showing up on the red carpet. All the A-listers seemed to be familiar with the designs and they are still constantly seen in latest and greatest Jimmy Choo shoes. Earlier this year, 2007, TowerBrook Capital Partners acquired Jimmy Choo and the company is now valued at a staggering 185 million pounds. Not too shabby.

So the next time you find yourself lovingly caressing a pair of to-die-for stilettos that bear the name Jimmy Choo, remember how much is behind that black and white label. It is a name that originally belonged to a quiet Malaysian shoemaker with an exceptional talent, caringly making five hand-made shoes a week in a London basement. It now belongs to another, and while it may now be worth millions and found in every major city around the world, the man who started it all is back to turning out the five hand-made pairs per week that he became so famous for.

Jimmy Choo ‘Fun Facts’

• Jimmy Choo was born Jimmy Chow, but his name was misspelled on a registry and he never corrected it.
• Jimmy Choo’s most prized possession? A Buddhist pendant he wears every day.
• Jimmy Choo’s first label was called ‘Lucky Shoes’ which he sold out of a stall in a market on the South Bank in England
• You can find true Jimmy Choo shoes under his own ‘Jimmy Choo Couture’ line run out of his London store
• Jimmy Choo is considered to be one of the most famous Malaysians, second to Bond girl Michelle Yeoh.
• In 2000, the sultan of Pahang gave Jimmy the title of Dato, a highly esteemed honor in Malaysia
• Princess Diana was a huge fan of Jimmy’s designs…so much so that it’s said he lost count of how many shoes he made for her. However, it wasn’t until after her split with Prince Charles that she was seen wearing his high-heeled shoes everywhere because due to their height difference, she couldn’t wear them while next to him.
• Sandra Choi is now the Creative Director of Jimmy Choo. Sandra was an apprentice of Jimmy Choo, and is also the niece of his wife, Rebecca.
• How did Tamara Mellon deal with the competition of the just-as-expensive and more established Manolo Blahnik? Mellon positioned Jimmy Choo as shoes for a ‘younger, cooler’ generation. Manolo Blahniks were deemed appropriate for the mothers of those wearing Choos.
• Tamara Mellon’s father, Thomas Yeardye, is the co-founder of the Vidal Sassoon empire

Website: http://www.jimmychoo.com/pws/Home.ice

Don’t Stop There!
More Interesting Articles:

How Jimmy Choo ‘lost’ his name – http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2007/1/14/lifefocus/16336719&sec=lifefocus

Who is Jimmy Choo? – http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980DE1D81639F932A35751C1A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print