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Recognizing an Icon: 7 Surprising Jimmy Choo Facts

November 15, 2017 3 min read

The Couture USA team would like to wish a very special happy birthday to the incomparable Jimmy Choo, who celebrated his 69th birthday on November 15th! For the fashion obsessed, the name Jimmy Choo evokes thoughts of distinguished quality, prestige elegance, and of course, the various looks of Carrie Bradshaw. In celebration of the fashion mogul that transformed the world of designer shoes, here is a look at 7 surprising Jimmy Choo Facts!

1. He created his first pair of shoes as a child.

As the son of a shoe cobbler, Choo was introduced to his craft at an early age. After spending his early years studying his father's work as his apprentice, Jimmy Choo successfully constructed his own pair of shoes at the age of 11 years old.

2. His last name is not actually Choo.

The designer's real family name is Chow, but an administrative mistake made on his birth certificate left him with the last name Choo. Who knew a world-renowned luxury household name would ever be accredited to a simple typo?

3. He did not always operate under the name Jimmy Choo.

His first shoe label began in 1983 while he was working under the name brand Lucky Shoes. It wasn't until 1986 that he rebranded his work under the iconic self-titled label.

4. He was a close friend of Princess Diana.

One of his original celebrity clients, Princess Diana was a huge fan of Choo and from there they grew to be great friends. After designing countless pairs specifically for the late and great Lady Di, Choo kept the last pair of gold pumps he finished for her the day following her tragic accident as a loving memory of his royal friend.

5. He is well received in his home country in Malaysia.

Known as one of the most successful business men to arise from the country of Malaysia, Choo has received numerous awards for his success. This includes the honorable "Dato" title he received from the Sultan of Malaysia in 2000 as well as "World's Outstanding Malaysian Designer" at the 2001 Design for Asia awards.

6.He designed for a feature-film favorite.

While watching Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde, you'll be able to spot a total of 63 different pairs of fabulous hand made shoes designed by Jimmy Choo specifically for the film.

7. He stands firmly in the belief of quality over quantity.

Jimmy Choo takes great pride in the discipline and preciseness of the hand-crafted quality that separates his work from the average shoe. Before deciding to team up with British Vogue editor Tamara Mellon and getting his big break into the designer world, he was crafting all of his shoes by hand on a client-by-client basis. As the brand began to thrive, Jimmy Choo grew concerned with the idea of diminished quality in mass production and in 2001 decided to sell his share of the Jimmy Choo Ltd company for 10 million dollars. So now that you're up to date on all your Jimmy Choo trivia, we want to know what you love most about your beloved pair of Jimmy Choo's? What separates them from the rest of your shoe collection? Post your answer in the comments below!