If you hear the name Jimmy Choo, you think of glamour, glitz and of course, shoes! His shoes are worn by celebrity A-listers like Sandra Bullock, Florence Pugh, Scarlett Johansson and many more. But, behind the big name is actually just a humble Malaysian man working hard to earn for his family.
Just recently, an Instagram reel went viral when world famous Datuk Jimmy Choo was stopped for an interview by World Microphone London. When they saw the celebrity designer just walking around, they were thrilled to ask him about his outfit. What he wore surprised netizens…
The Malaysian entrepreneur was seen walking around with his Malaysian mentee, Peony Sin – an up-and-coming designer. The two were donning Songkets, but modernised for day-to-day casual wear. According to Jimmy and Peony, the Songkets had been designed by Peony herself.
Peony was wearing a pink cheongsam made with hints of Songket, and accessorised with pearl earrings made by her own fashion brand, Rafflesia. Jimmy Choo on the other hand, was donning a light blue blazer made entirely out of Songket. “Sown by hand with gold and silver threads,” Jimmy said, describing the jacket. “(It) was designed for me by my favourite student, (Peony).” The two looked fabulous just strutting around London.
After revealing that they were wearing Songket, the two spoke more about the treasured woven fabric. They also talked about their heritage, coming from Chinese decent in Malaysia. Thus, is where the idea of a Songket cheongsam and a Songket blazer came from!

Scrolling through the comment section, netizens seemed very excited to see the shoemaker donning the beautiful jacket. Many comments are from Malaysians, saying they’re proud to see Malaysian designers showing off a national treasured fabric. Many also pointed out how humble they were, despite being world-famous celebrity designers!
This goes to show that humility brings the best out of people! Even after being in the fashion industry for almost 30 years, the man stayed humble throughout his life. Now, the world class shoemaker is passing off his vast knowledge to students of London Fashion College. Way to go, Jimmy Choo!
Source: Instagram
Puteri Teja contributed to this article.