Jimmy Choo is a Malaysian fashion designer of Chinese descent based in the United Kingdom. He co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd, which became known for its handmade women’s shoes. Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia, into family a of shoemakers. His family name is Chow (Chinese: 周) but was misspelled on his birth certificate as Choo. He studied at Shih Chung Primary School in Love Lane, Penang. Choo’s father, a shoemaker who made all 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. He made his first pair of shoes when he was 11 years old, a pair of slippers.
Between 1982 and 1984, Choo studied at Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney (now part of the London College of Fashion) in London, England. He went to a design firm to work after graduation, wishing to remain in London instead of going back to Malaysia.
