Jimmy Choo
(1957 - )
Jimmy Choo was born in 1957 in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. His family owned a shoemaking business. Choo made his first pair of shoes at the age of 12. He worked in the family business as an apprentice in the 1970s; and in the early 1980s, Choo moved to London, England
where he studied at the Cordwainer's Technical College.
Jimmy Choo began selling his first shoe designs under the brand name Lucky Shoes in 1984. In 1986, Choo started a custom shoe business under his name and three years later in 1989, he was joined in the business by his niece, Sandra Choi. In 1996, he founded his own company in partnership with Tamara Mellon a former accessories editor at Vogue UK; and together they started a larger-scale shoe business which lasted until 2001.
In 1999, Jimmy Choo became two separate businesses; the firm Equinox Luxury Holdings acquired Choo’s share of the company and in 2004, Lion Capital acquired a majority share holding. Choo retained the Jimmy Choo couture line and his designs are well known and coveted by actresses, royalty and the rich and famous. The other company that also bears his name produces the Jimmy Choo retail line that is not custom-made and is fabricated in its entirety in Italy. The company continues to grow worldwide with stores in Europe, Hong Kong and the United States. Sandra Choi, his niece, remained with the retail company.
In 1999, Jimmy Choo’s exceptional talent earned him the title of “British Accessory Designer of the Year."
