What made you decide to go into fashion?
When I was a teenager living in HK with my grandparents, I remember seeing a Galliano deconstructed Prince of Wales jacket in a magazine, I was fascinated by the tailoring and it ignited a curiosity for fashion and design. When I moved back to the Isle of Wight, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in fashion and needed to be in the city so I moved to London to stay with my aunt and uncle, Jimmy and embarked on a foundation course at Central St Martins. My heart was in fashion, but my tutor at the time called out my talent for product design. Whilst I was studying, I was helping in Jimmy’s atelier in the East End of London which presented me with a unique opportunity, to design and be involved in the fashion business which I couldn’t turn down. I now find myself in the best of both worlds because I design shoes and accessories for a fashion house. My head and heart have found each other and connected.
Where do you derive your biggest inspiration from?
Everything can be a source of inspiration, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. As a creative you are open to all forms of stimulus. I am inspired daily by the people around me and the style on the street. Photography is a constant source of inspiration and I have an extensive collection of fashion, art and design photographic books that I reference. I also like to understand the subtle changes in silhouettes for the coming seasons – like the way a shoe will look against the structure of different skirts or how a handbag will look on an arm below a sleeve that has a different cut. My team, the new generation of creatives and our collaborative partners are also constant sources of ideas, it’s a truly collaborative process. Recently I have been going back to the archives, the brand was born at the end of the 90s and some of the first styles we designed feel relevant again, like the Agathe boot which was first introduced in 2001.
How does Jimmy Choo, a brand with such longevity maintain a consistent flow of creative inspiration?
Jimmy Choo has always embraced an entrepreneurial spirit. We stay true to our glamorous DNA whilst being open to innovation and collaboration. Our relationship with celebrity and cultural conversations in film, art, music, and television allow us to talk to a wide generational audience and have amplified the brand name globally. Our inspiration trips are vital to keeping a fresh perspective each season. As well as providing creative inspiration they also provide a pause between collections, a chance to leave the working environment and cleanse our heads. I often find that the people and the streetstyle of a new city provides as much, if not more of an insight and creative reference than the sights.
Photo: Charlie Gray
As the brand’s Creative Director, how do you uphold the brand’s high standards in design and creativity since taking charge? How do you marry practicality and design to transform your imagination into reality?
It is a balancing act combining the perfect mix of design integrity, interesting and original detailing, proportion, and craftsmanship whilst having a beautiful silhouette and a fashion forward aesthetic. Like architecture, the foundations must be flawless before the design is layered on although I like to find ways where the foundations, like the heel become design details in themselves. People don’t realise a shoe has to be designed by size, it’s a very specific formula to get right. The fusion of functional design with aesthetics is a fine art. We are committed to working with some of the most skilled craftspeople using the highest quality materials whether that’s in our own factories in Italy or going to Spain because that’s where the best cork artisans and materials are or working with a couture embroidery atelier in Paris and Swarovski for our crystals.
Could you share with us your personal style? Does your personal style affect your design?
I like strong silhouettes in a muted palette. I rarely wear patterns or prints focusing instead on the cut and tailoring. I have quite an androgynous style—that being said, you will see me in pink, but it will be my kind of pink! By day I like jeans or trousers and a silk or cashmere top, I will always work my look around my shoes which will usually be a pointy toe heel. I am building my jewelry collection, with vintage and contemporary pieces.
Which are your favorite Jimmy Choo pieces you have designed throughout the years?
Oh that’s such a hard question! I can’t possibly choose one pair; it is like asking me to pick my favourite child! But if pushed I could narrow it down to a capsule collection comprising a great pointy toe stiletto heel pump, Love, a metallic strappy sandal like the Azia, a heeled boot like the Agathe and the Diamond boot in red or black from latest collection, and at the moment I am loving our new season Didi decorated with tartan sequins.
Photo: Charlie Gray
What are some key trends you see in the future?
Fashion is so cyclical, trends come and go and are re-interpreted and presented in different guises so it is always important to reference the past in order to move forward. Fashion is influenced by popular culture, popular culture is influenced by society and so the cycle continues. When you draw on the past you have to always think about how to make it relevant for today, there needs to be a contemporary twist. I think the popularity for the lower heel height will continue, the feminine elegance of this silhouette is the perfect contrast for balancing minimalist and androgynous tailoring. The single sole, pointy toe pump kitten heel is a great alternative.
How the brand evolved and navigated through the changing trends, especially after the pandemic?
Post pandemic there has been both a renewed appetite for glamour and focus on accessories lifting a more uniform, quieter way of dressing. Yes, there’s an overall trend for casualization and lower heels but we are also seeing shoes and accessories become the focal point of an outfit and the lead seasonal message across all the collections. They make a statement but also bring an element of joy to fashion.
Recently the brand has launched more lifestyle offerings, ranging from bags to jewellery pieces. Has this challenged and changed your design philosophy in any way?
My background and training were in women’s which I have always been passionate about, but the addition of men’s has been something I really enjoy, it demands a different approach but with the same level of detail. I relish new challenges and I am fortunate that Jimmy Choo is such a dynamic brand allowing me to work on product beyond shoes including fragrance and eyewear.
Jimmy Choo has been launching special collaborations with other talents each year. Could you share the process of selecting and working with other talents for collaborations?
It’s about pairings that both surprise and feel authentic. It might not seem obvious at first but when you listen to the story it comes to life and makes perfect sense.
This year, the brand is launching a collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier. Why did the brand decide to collaborate with Jean Paul Gaultier specifically?
There are brands in my life that I have always admired and Jean Paul Gaultier is one of them. The idea of playing between Gaultier and Jimmy Choo appealed to me: the idea of contradiction, of an unexpected mix. If anyone was to ever ask me what brand I would like to work with, Gaultier was always on the list. I love its spirit – it’s synonymous with wit and humour, with craftsmanship, and the idea of being rebellious with a message. I was thinking of all those ideas, and thinking of Gaultier. So, I made a call.
Photography Charlie Gray
Styling Adele Cany
Grooming Yae Pascoe
