LEICESTER, England--()--De Montfort University (DMU) honorand and world-renowned shoe designer Jimmy Choo has been honoured for his outstanding achievements in the footwear industry.
As part of its annual recognition of the world’s most outstanding Chinese designer, the Hong Kong Design Center (HKDC) has awarded Dato Professor Jimmy Choo OBE with its 2011 accolade.
The World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer Award 2011 honours designers of Chinese heritage who have demonstrated significant contributions to the design community and have continued to devote themselves to the development of design through supporting educational, training and research activities across the globe.
Choo said: “I am extremely honoured and very proud to receive this special award and very grateful for the recognition."
Choo is a champion of DMU’s unique BA (Hons) Footwear Design course is the only single honours footwear degree in the UK and also holds an Honorary Doctor of Arts from the university.
In 2009 he visited DMU, which is based in Leicester, UK, to give a masterclass to footwear design students and has continued to provide internships for the university’s students and graduates at his Couture House in London, UK.
Dr Gerard Moran, dean of Faculty of Art, Design and Humanities, said: “We at De Montfort University, in Leicester, congratulate Jimmy Choo, Honorary Doctor of Arts at the university, on receiving the World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer Award 2011.
“Jimmy is truly a role model for young designers everywhere, as has demonstrated in providing masterclasses, inspiration and work experience for De Montfort University footwear design students. We’re honoured to be associated with him and delighted at his receipt of this greatly deserved recognition of his achievements.”
Choo, who was born in Malaysia into a family of shoemakers of Chinese descent, made his first shoe at only 11-years-old.
His determination to follow in his father's footsteps and master the art of shoe design brought him to London where he established his couture label in 1986. His made-to-order designs include an extensive range of bespoke handmade women’s shoes, which are favoured by international stars worldwide, including the late Princess Diana.
ENDS