Jimmy Choo
Datuk Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat PJN DIMP DSPN OBE[1] (born 15 November 1948)[2] is a Malaysian fashion designer based in the United Kingdom. He co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd, which became known for its handmade women's shoes.
This article is about the shoe designer. For the company bearing his name, see Jimmy Choo Ltd. For other people, see Jim Chou (disambiguation).Early life[edit]
Choo was born in 1948 in the Crown Colony of Penang, British Malaya, into a family of shoemakers. Of Chinese descent, his family name is Chew (Chinese: 周), but it was misspelled on his birth certificate as Choo. Choo's father, a shoemaker who made all of his shoes by hand, taught him the craft. "My parents were shoemakers and I have followed my father's lead. He inspired me," said Jimmy Choo.[3] He made his first pair of shoes when he was 11 years old—a pair of slippers.[4][5][6]
Between 1982 and 1984, Choo studied at Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney (now part of the London College of Fashion) in London.[7] He went to a design firm to work after graduation, wishing to remain in London permanently instead of returning to Malaysia.[5]