Jimmy Choo is a 21st century luxury accessories brand, with shoes at its heart, offering an empowered sense of glamour and a playfully daring spirit.
The brand traces its roots to a bespoke shoemaker named Jimmy Choo, based in the East End of London in the early 1990s, who catered to the global jet set, including Princess Diana. The Jimmy Choo company was founded in 1996, with Mr Choo’s niece, Sandra Choi, who had been heading up design in the East End atelier, coming on board as Creative Director, a position she holds to this day. Mr Choo departed the company in 2001.
The sexy cut, fashionable design, and exceptional Italian craftsmanship struck a chord with a sophisticated clientele, and the first collection enjoyed immediate success. With a goal of creating a global luxury business, Jimmy Choo attracted outside investment and the company embarked on a significant expansion across product categories, channels and geographies.
A pioneer in the art of celebrity dressing, Jimmy Choo was among the first to bring shoes and handbags to Hollywood where the red carpet proved to be the ideal runway for the brand. Today, Jimmy Choo can be seen on style icons from celebrities to royalty, musicians to heads of state.
The brand’s reputation as a celebrity favourite helped to fuel its rapid expansion. Its iconography was further defined by the bold and dramatic advertising portraying glamorous but strong women in towering heels and luxurious handbags, captured by photographers such as Mario Testino, Inez and Vinoodh, Peter Lindbergh and Steven Meisel and Terry Richardson.
Retail development has been integral to the company’s strategy. The first Jimmy Choo store was opened in 1996 on Motcomb Street in London, complementing a distribution in some of the most prestigious multi-brand stores in the world. Two years later, the company expanded to the US, opening two stores in New York City and Beverly Hills. International expansion continued with Jimmy Choo securing locations in the premiere luxury shopping destinations of the world’s most prestigious cities including Sloane Street and Bond Street in London, Avenue Montaigne in Paris, Via Condotti in Rome, Madison Avenue in New York, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, and Ginza in Tokyo.
Today, Jimmy Choo encompasses a complete luxury accessories brand. Women’s shoes remain the core of the product offer, alongside handbags, small leather goods, scarves, sunglasses, eyewear, belts, fragrance and men’s shoes. Pierre Denis was appointed Chief Executive Officer in July 2012 and the creative direction is overseen by Sandra Choi. Together, they share a vision to create one of the world’s most treasured luxury brands. Jimmy Choo has a store network encompassing 167 stores in 35 countries and is present in the most prestigious department and specialty stores worldwide. In October 2014 Jimmy Choo PLC was publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange with the ticker CHOO.