A Step above the Rest
Women around the world prize Jimmy Choo shoes for their classic design, fine craftsmanship and surprising comfort. The company launched in 1996 by London shoe designer Jimmy Choo and Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon has become a household name.
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Origins
Jimmy Choo was born in 1961 in Malaysia to a family of shoemakers and wasted no time getting his career started: He reportedly made his first pair of shoes at the age of 11. After moving to London and training at Cordwainers Technical College -- now part of the London College of Fashion -- Choo began to sell his handmade couture footwear in the late 1980s. Before long, his client list included famous names like Princess Diana, but his one-of-a-kind, handcrafted creations were out of reach for most women. The painstaking methods Choo used to create the shoes meant their availability was extremely limited.
That changed when Mellon approached Choo in 1996 with the idea of mass-marketing fashionable, high-quality footwear for women. In 1997, the two opened the first Jimmy Choo boutique in London and began selling ready-to-wear women's shoes that were designed by Choo and produced at factories in Italy.
Commercial Success
It didn't take long for the company to find success: Celebrities, already familiar with Choo's handmade creations, snapped up the new line and quickly made the shoes a fixture on the red carpet, but it was "Sex and the City" that cemented Jimmy Choo's global fame. The popular HBO show's characters obsessed over the line's strappy sandals and sleek stilettos, and millions of fans immediately followed in Carrie’s and her friends' high-heeled footsteps.
Since their immortalization on "Sex and the City," Jimmy Choo shoes have gone on to receive plenty of attention elsewhere in pop culture, from hit films such as "The Devil Wears Prada" and "In Her Shoes" to TV sensations like "The Sopranos" and "Ugly Betty."
Jimmy Choo Today
Jimmy Choo offers a fresh selection of innovative, trendy shoes each season without abandoning the classic silhouettes that never go out of fashion. The company also makes handbags and clutch purses, which are frequently seen in the hands of celebs like Cameron Diaz and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Choo himself, who sold his stake in the company in 2001, continues to handcraft shoes in London under the Jimmy Choo Couture label. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II made him an officer of the Order of the British Empire. Mellon and creative director Sandra Choi, who worked with Choo before the company's launch and is the niece of his wife, oversee the ready-to-wear collection. As of 2007, Jimmy Choo has more than 60 retail stores worldwide. The shoes are also available online and in department stores such as Neiman Marcus in the U.S. and Harrods in Great Britain, though certain styles are exclusive to Jimmy Choo boutiques.
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