Knight of the Shoe: Jimmy Choo – a Malaysian Man that puts Best Foot Forward

Did you know London footwear guru Dato’ Jimmy Choo OBE, was born and brought up in Malaysia?

Maybe I’ve had my feet in the sand, but I didn’t!

In fact, Choo, (born Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat in Penang), made his first pair of shoes in his native Malaysia when he was 11 years old.

Tiptoeing up to the Red Carpet

Jimmy was born into a family of shoemakers and went to London to study, graduating in 1983. He worked part time as a waiter and a shoe factory cleaner to help pay for college.

In 1986 he opened a workshop in an old hospital building in Hackney, North London, where he garnered rather of a lot of attention. In 1988 he earned himself an 8-page spread in Vogue, and in 1990, Diana Princess of Wales became his patron, which planted him well and truly in the public eye.

In 1996 Jimmy founded Jimmy Choo Ltd with British Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon.

In 2000 Jimmy earned the Malaysian honorary title “Dato’” for his achievements, granted by the Sultan of Malaysia’s Pahang State.

You can take the Man out of Malaysia but You Can’t Take Malaysia out of the Man

In April 2001, Choo sold his 50% stake in Jimmy Choo Ltd for £10 million. Since then, he has been working on an exclusive couture line, within the company.  Tamara Mellon runs the ready-to-wear line, which now includes handbags. In 2002, he was granted an OBE by Queen Elizabeth of England and in 2004 he was awarded Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri by the Governor of his home state of Penang, which also carries the title Dato’.

How many titles does a man need? I guess that’s a bit like asking how many pairs of shoes a woman needs…

Jimmy Choo lives in London, but his heart is still very much entwined with his native Malaysia, where, not surprisingly he has become a hero to young shoemakers and fashion designers.  He  is presently setting up a shoemaking institute in his homeland. There are 39 Jimmy Choo stores worldwide.