Zhou Yangjie, the founder of a Malaysian brand, was born into a difficult family since childhood. Due to environmental pressure from his parents, who were shoemakers, he did not even graduate from sixth grade and began learning how to inherit the family business through the association. The industry of making leather shoes was not respected at that time, but his father still reminded him of the idea that one’s life is in danger when doing something.
Jimmy Choo’s first pair of works was a pair of puppy slippers given to his mother. In Malaysia, people believed that puppies would not get sick, so they had a symbol of health. At that time, he didn’t have the money to buy a birthday gift for his mother, so he designed and made a pair of puppy slippers to wish his mother’s health. The black and white block splicing of slippers still looks quite modern today, proving that Jimmy Choo was born with beauty from a young age.
With the recommendation and advice of his friends, Jimmy Choo decided to study design at the University of the Arts in the United Kingdom’s Kant Wiener’s College. This journey to study in the UK also became a turning point in his life. Even though the expensive tuition fee of £ 300 weighed heavily on him back then, it gave him the foundation and foundation to establish a brand.
Before setting off to study in England, my father said that the money he spent on studying was already his foundation, and he must come back with a good reputation to not disappoint him! Despite the huge living expenses and tuition fees in the UK, he had to work and study part-time to survive even with the support of his family. During his time in the UK, he worked at a Hong Kong style restaurant and was often scolded by his boss due to the Cantonese pronunciation of the Malaysian accent. Nevertheless, he struggled to complete his studies.
At the age of 35, Jimmy Choo completed his studies. When he first founded the brand, it was not so smooth. At that time, he only sold a pair of shoes for 5 pounds (about 45 yuan), but it was still unpopular. In the end, he even sold his shoes through street vendors. It was not until the age of 40 that his designed shoes officially caught the attention of the fashion industry.
