King of Shoes Jimmy Choo on passing his throne to London's next fashion royalty
Legendary fashion designer Jimmy Choo sits down with ITV News London's Olivia Guthrie
Words by Adam Di Tullio
For a man dubbed the King of Shoes - Jimmy Choo has mingled with and designed for royalty, celebrities and supermodels.
But behind the scenes, Jimmy Choo is working hard to help the next generation of fashion designers reach the runway.
From Princess Diana to Cate Blanchett- when there’s a household name, there’s a pair of Choo’s.
Probably the most notable reference to the master designer’s shoes was when Carrie Bradshaw in ‘Sex and The City’ Lost her Choo’s after disembarking a ferry to Stratton Island in New York.
The 75-year-old Malaysian born designer stopped working for the brand that’s bared his name since the 90’s in 2021.
Professor Jimmy Choo now runs the JCA London Fashion Academy in the heart of Mayfair. His aim is to pass on his skills to the next generation of designers.
The Academy takes on approximately 150 students and teaches diploma, bachelor and masters degrees.
Professor Choo said: “Where’s the best education? Still London.
"My father always said to me you must pass on your skills so next generation can pass on those skills otherwise it’s lost - just like martial arts.”
At London Fashion Week 2024, 14 of Professor Choo’s MA Design and Brand Innovation students debuted their collection at a glitzy runway show in St Mary’s Church in Marylebone.
The theme was to display cutting edge sustainable fashion.
Buyers from top London department stores and celebrities from Netflix shows ‘Bridgerton’ and “The Witcher’ were among the star-studded guests getting an exclusive look at the collections.
The collection includes patchwork designs crafted from upcycled life jackets, second hand tents, and t-shirts from Oxfam - all linking to Professor Choo’s ideologies of sustainable design.
Perry Davidson’s collection closed the night. He took inspiration from military clothing and designers such as Stone Island.
His brand P3RRY DAVIDS8N focuses on achieving zero waste in both the creative and production processes, utilising military surplus, recycled materials, and deadstock fabrics.
One of the most attractive parts of studying at the Jimmy Choo Academy is getting the hands on experience from the master himself.
Mr Davidson said he felt "ten times more confident" entering the fashion industry after Jimmy Choo's course.
After living a life in fashion - it’s his students who give Prof Choo the energy to keep designing and inspiring.
"I don't come from a rich family, I'm rich from my heart.
"I'm still learning from people, I still talk to people - I want my students to take this from me.
"They learn skills from me but I respect them and they have faith in me."
The 14 students will take their collections beyond the JCA academy, with the connections and skills passed on from one master, to the budding masters.
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