Jimmy Choo 101 In process, please be patient...
Q.
What is a short history of the brand? (from the Wikipedia)
Jimmy Choo is a Malaysian citizen of Hakka Chinese descent, who was born in Penang in 1961 into a family of shoemakers. He made his first shoe when he was 11 years old. He is perhaps the most famous of students of Cordwainers' Technical College in London, from which he graduated in 1983. The college is now part of the London College of Fashion. Choo has divulged that he worked part-time at restaurants and as a cleaner at a shoe factory to help fund his college education.
Jimmy Choo's beginnings can be traced back to his workshop in Hackney, East London, which he opened in 1986 by renting an old hospital building. His craftsmanship and designs were soon noticed and he came to the verge of international fame when his creations were featured in a record eight pages in a 1988 issue of Vogue magazine. Patronage from Diana, Princess of Wales from 1990 onwards further boosted his image.
In 1996, he co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd with British Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon.
In April 2001, Choo sold his 50% stake in the company for £10 million. He has since been concentrating his work on the exclusive Jimmy Choo Couture line produced under license from Jimmy Choo Ltd. The Jimmy Choo London line, also known as Jimmy Choo Ready-To-Wear or simply, Jimmy Choo, is under the purview of Tamara Mellon. The ready-to-wear line has expanded to include accessories such as handbags.
Choo currently resides in London. He is currently involved in a project to set up a shoemaking institute in Malaysia, where his iconic status is often evoked to inspire budding shoemakers and fashion designers.
2000: Bestowed a state award carrying the title of Dato' by the Sultan of Pahang state in Malaysia for his achievements.
2002: Conferred an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his services to the shoe and fashion industry in the UK.
2004: Awarded the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of his home state of Penang, which also carries the title Dato'.
Awarded a fellowship by the University of the Arts London, conferring the use of the title Professor.
Q.
How often are Jimmy Choo collections released?
There are four "seasons", Spring/Summer (S/S) Pre-Fall (PF), Cruise/Resort, and Fall/Winter (F/W). S/S collection bags start arriving in the stores as early as very late December and throughout the first few months of the new year. Expect Pre-Fall to arrive in July/August . F/W collections usually start to arrive in stores September, October, and even as late as November. Cruise/Resort collections arrive in late November and throughout December. The release dates are somewhat fluid. It is not unusual to see a couple seasons at a time in the stores or boutiques. Catalogs are usually available from Jimmy Choo after the collections hit the boutiques.
Q.
Do Jimmy Choo items ever go on sale?
Yes! The boutiques hold two sales per year. The end of year sale begins in December and ends by February 1st. The second may start as early as late June and is throughout the month of July. Classic styles do not usually go on sale. Seasonal styles do. Also you may find a LE style. The Choo outlets have end of year sales, too. And of course, department stores that carry Choo have their own seasonal sales.
Q.
Where can I find discontinued colors or styles?
Rarely do stores have old stock but generally, the outlets,
eBay or consignment stores are the only places.
Q.
What is a good choice for a first Jimmy Choo bag?
It really depends on the size you need. The most popular first Choos are Ramona or Riki.
Q.
Please give me a quick rundown of the classic bags?
Ramona - Has become the iconic Choo bag. It is a double handled shoulder bag with a belted design, with a hardware clasp that fastens it closed. Lined in luxurious moleskin. It is available in two sizes Ramona, and XL Ramona.
Riki - This bag is identical to the Ramona in all but size. Riki is available in one size, which is about 30-40 percent smaller than the Ramona.
Mahala - This is another of the iconic Choo bags. The Mahala looks like a boxy cube. It has suede inserts. There is a magnetic snap closure at the top. Lined in luxurious moleskin. It is available in two sizes Mahala, and Large (rarely seen) Mahala.
Maddy - This bag is identical to the Mahala in all but size. Maddy is available in one size, which is about 30-40 percent smaller than the Mahala.
Classic Choo bags are much loved because the interiors are lined with pockets as well as a zippered compartment. This is a very useful and practical brand.
Q.
What is the best kind of leather?
The most commonly used is calfskin. But, you will find nappa, suedes and exotics. Jimmy Choo does some wonderful textured leathers as well as patent. It really comes down to the touch – when you touch the bag, does it make you happy?
Q.
Where is the authenticity tag?
Beginning in Fall 2008, Jimmy Choo began phasing in an authentication system. Each Choo bag/accessory will have a numbered hologram patch fused to the inside. An accompanying plastic credit card sized authenticity card will have the same number. This card should be supplied with the item. Make sure they match!
update from
Bagladee
From about December 2009 through now bags DID NOT have the hologram tag in the bag. There was just a notice that went out in June 2010 to the boutiques explaining this . Starting with the fall line (not pre-fall) bags will have both the tag and the matching card. They stopped doing this because so many boutiques and department stores were having problems with missing cards in a return situation. This way without the hologram tag, the stores could just have some extra cards on hand to stick in the bags if they were missing on return. Then apparently so many people griped about that they they decided to go back to the matching hologram tag and card.
Q.
What are these anacronyms I see in posts?
LP = Liquid Patent, a very shiny patent leather
WL = Wet Look patent
HG = Holy Grail, or the most desired bag (varies with member)
LE = Limited Edition. Each year, Choo produces limited quantities of some styles in unusual colors and materials.
IMO, or IMHO = Not specific to this forum but, "in my opinion" or "in my humble opinion."
