Who owns jimmy choo

After learning from his father about the craft of shoemaking, Choo made his way to England in the early s to study at the Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney, where he graduated with honors in Choosing to remain in England, Choo opened his first shop in Hackney in in an old hospital building. It didn't take long for Choo's reputation to build. Within two years of opening his shop, Choo's shoes were featured in an eight-page spread in Vogue magazine.

Soon, Choo became the darling of the celebrity world, in particular Princess Diana , who donned Choo's footwear seemingly everywhere she went.

But it was his relationship with Vogue that would prove to be instrumental in the rise of the Jimmy Choo brand. Despite the rise of his popularity, Choo was still a small operation, producing just 20 handmade pairs of shoes per week. But Tamara Yeardye Mellon, an accessories editor at Vogue , who often hired Choo to make shoes for fashion shoots, sensed a larger market for Choo's creations.

She approached the shoemaker about partnering to create a line of ready-to-wear footwear. Together, Choo and Mellon quickly grew the business, keeping the focus on creating high-end footwear, but no longer relying on the idea that every single pair had to be made by Choo himself.

They contracted with Italian factories and opened their first boutique shop in London. This article is more than 4 years old. American firm fends off rival bids for fabled British luxury shoes and bag firm.

Jimmy Choo was founded in Hackney, east London, in It was later bought out by private equity firms. Topics Jimmy Choo Luxury goods sector Mergers and acquisitions news. Reuse this content.

That same year, Diana is photographed on the red carpet wearing Jimmy Choo slingbacks. In , the first U. Mellon and co-creative director Sandra Choi, Choo's niece, stay with the company. Mellon remains a minority owner.

At her husband's first inaugural ball, Michelle Obama steps out in Jimmy Choo heels—now on display at the Smithsonian. In November, Mellon exits the company. With stores in 34 countries, Jimmy Choo becomes the first luxury footwear brand to go public. Image source, Jimmy Choo.

Image source, PA. Malaysian shoemaker Jimmy Choo co-founded the company but no longer owns it. JAB Holdings is backing this deal. Image source, Getty Images.