Jimmy Choo at the 2021 graduation show for students of the JCA London Fashion Academy, the design and business program he founded.
Dave Benett | JCA Fashion Academy in London | Getty Images
From the British royal family to Hollywood stars, Jimmy Choo's luxury shoes have been worn by countless celebrities on red carpets around the world.
Now Choo is helping the next generation of fashion designers follow in his footsteps by opening an online store Internet shop selling clothes and accessories made by students and graduates of his JCA London Fashion Academy design program.
“My father always told me: if you have the knowledge and skills, if you pass on your legacy, the younger generation will also be able to have all the skills and knowledge,” he told CNBC. Choo was born in Malaysia, where his father taught him how to make shoes by hand.
Choo launched the academy in 2021, offering students a bachelor's or master's degree in entrepreneurship in design and brand innovation – with business being a key part of the program.
“It's very important … to help them start a business and see how to sell it,” Choo told CNBC.
Students acquire knowledge in the field of marketing and PR and write business plans with the goal of establishing their own “micro” fashion enterprise after graduation, as described on the website academy website.
“Even the most talented fashion designers will fail if they lack business acumen,” Choo said in a press note.
JCA London Fashion Academy designer Olivia Black's “War on the Environment” collection aims to highlight the “battle” that must be fought to combat sustainability issues, Black told CNBC. The photo shows a model wearing one of Black's outfits at a fashion show on November 28, 2024.
Dave Benett | JCA Fashion Academy in London | Getty Images
The Academy has also opened a temporary physical location – the JCA Retail Gallery – on the ground floor of the exclusive White City Living development in west London, where student collections have been exhibited and sold over the past week.
“The idea behind launching this was to give (students) a platform to sell their work without having to pay the typical fees of a retail (store) rental and give them the opportunity to talk to the general public,” said Olivia Black, one of the academy's graduates and co-curator of the JCA Retail Gallery . The retail space was donated to the academy by real estate company Berkeley Group.
Black said Choo provided feedback on her eponymous fashion brand during its creation, advising her to develop an idea for her brand's eagle motif. “He always says to focus on something that makes the outfit really special,” Black said.
Students focus on sustainability. Many clothes were made from dead or used materials, and some had a modular design with zippers or bows, allowing sleeves or pant legs to be added or removed for different occasions. Choo suggested that designers could use leftovers from luxury clothing production to create cheaper products.
Eleanor Hunter, a graduate of the JCA London Fashion Academy, named her brand “Average George” after her grandfather, a World War II spy. A model wears one of Hunter's creations at the fashion show on November 28, 2024.
Dave Benett | JCA Fashion Academy in London | Getty Images
Last year, McKinsey predicted this generativity Artificial Intelligence Could Add $150 Billion and $275 billion in operating profits for the fashion and luxury sectors as early as 2026. What does Choo think about artificial intelligence and its impact on the fashion industry? He said artificial intelligence is useful for student exercises or for translating letters from Chinese, but cautioned that it should not be used for everything.
“Because people can see – if you use artificial intelligence, everything will come out the same,” he said. “You can use it as a guide, but you won't be able to apply it 100% and do everything. Otherwise, you will lose your skills,” Choo said.
Choo studied at London shoemaking school Cordwainers in the early 1980s and made shoes for a show at London Fashion Week later that decade. Vogue magazine writer Kate Phelan saw his designs and called him and said, “Jimmy… we want those shoes,” Choo told CNBC. The magazine ran a several-page article about his shoes, and Choo found a customer in the 1990s in Diana, Princess of Wales.
Choo sold his 50% stake in the eponymous footwear business when the company was worth £21 million in 2001 and the brand is currently owned Capri Holdingwho bought it in A deal worth $1.35 billion in 2017