2024 Author: Brian Parson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:02
Among the biggest names of shoe designers shines brightly Jimmy Choo. Like Manolo Blahnik, his fame is also maintained by the popular films "Sex and the City" and "The Devil Wears Prada."
It turns out, however, that neither the devil wears only Prada, nor Carrie Bradshaw - only Manolo Blahnik. Jimmy Choo's elegant shoes are second to none. In the last few years, the brand's boutiques have been growing worldwide despite high prices and even higher heels.
The life of a fashion genius born in 1961 in a poor family is proof that talent can take you almost anywhere. The shoemaker's trade is hereditary in Chu's family: his mother and father sew shoes in the city of Patong. However, their works are used for the daily life of Malaysians, not for walks on the red carpet.
The talented boy leaves school early to make shoes with his father. He created his first pair of entirely his own design at the age of 11. After visiting relatives in London, he decided to stay.
Thus, in 1983 he graduated from the Technical College of the Shoe Industry in London, which is now part of the London College of Fashion. Chu reveals that he worked part-time in restaurants and as a shoemaker in a shoe factory to help fund his education.
Photo: AFP
In the 1980s, he began making shoes by hand, renting part of the old hospital in East London. His shoes were Lucky shoes, but his financial instability brought him a small number of customers.
A turning point in Chu's career was the presentation of his shoes on the record 8 pages in Vogue magazine in 1988, after which his designs became increasingly popular. Princess Diana herself decided to lend a hand to the young designer and ordered 6 pairs.
The unique shoes were not available to most women, but that changed in 1996 when Tamara Mellon, editor of British Vogue, offered to create a line that was accessible to all. The following year, they opened the first Jimmy Choo boutique in London together.
Today, everyone sighs at the shiny windows of the brand, which has stores around the world. Sequins, bright colors and suede, high prices and even higher heels - these are the most characteristic features of Jimmy's shoes.
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