It’s not everyday that you get to meet someone who’s in history books. So when world-renowned designer Jimmy Choo came to town to speak at the ‘Fashion Challenges’ Business Conference for Fashion Asia 2017, we just had to grab the opportunity to talk to the living legend about all things fashion.

You have had the most successful career spanning decades. What are your passions that still drive you?

Designing shoes is not a livelihood for me, it’s my passion. My clients have become my friends and staunch loyalists over the decades. Now their daughters come to me to get their shoes made for special occasions.

After I sold the rights to my brand Jimmy Choo, I formed another company Zhou Yang Jie, after my Chinese name that my mother had given me. I have had the honour to design for royalty, pop artists, key influencers, movie stars and so on.

But for me right now, teaching is the most important thing. Educating young designers so that they can find their own foothold in this immensely competitive industry is what drives me everyday.

Tell us more about your mentoring programmes.

I have been mentoring young designers for quite some time now. As a footwear education ambassador at London College of Fashion and as a spokesperson for British Council, I try to reach out to a lot of international students. I have also been chosen as a director in The Diana Award’s Mentoring Programme.

In the recent past, I have been proud to mentor Illiza Ho, who used to work as my assistant designer. Every time my students do well, my heart fills with pride. Mentoring is a big responsibility; you have to put your heart and soul into it.

You have received so many rewards and recognition. Is there any that stands out?

I have been lucky enough to get a lot of love and respect from people. Yes, of course, getting an OBE or a Datuk (highest honour in Malaysia) is a humbling experience. But for me, my biggest reward is that children in my home country read about me in their history books. It makes me proud to think that even when I pass away, kids in Malaysia would read about me and know about my work. To me, there’s no award or recognition that can top that.

With a consumer shift towards affordable luxury segments in 2017, how do you think the luxury fashion industry will fare in the future?

High-end fashion is still very much in demand. Luxury products do have an aspirational value. Of course, you’ll probably get cheaper items which also look good in their own right, but the quality is definitely not the same. People who seek high-end fashion become loyalists of their favourite brands over time. My clients, who over the years have become my friends, keep coming back for new shoes. I think, as long as luxury fashion houses keep coming up with new ideas, new stories and new innovations, the market for luxury fashion will continue to thrive.

With increased competition and shorter fashion seasons, how do designers fight the creativity crisis?

Indeed, with more design schools coming up, there are a lot of new players in the fashion industry. However, the sad part is that most of them are one-season miracles. To last out in the fashion industry, one has to have genuine talent and insight. The crisis in creativity is real, but not something that can’t be overcome.

Thank you.

Interview by Suchetana Mukhopadhyay