Dato' Jimmy Choo gets inspiration from Pangkor Laut Resort

The Luxury Pangkor Island Resort

By Naveen Sachdev

  Dato' Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat, 71, is a successful fashion designer.
  Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia into a family of shoe makers. He made his first pair of shoes by age 11.
  After learning from his father about the craft of shoemaking, Choo went to England in the early 1980s to study at the Cordwainers Technical College (now part of the London College of Fashion) in Hackney, London. He graduated in 1983 and choose to remain in London to continue the family tradition of shoe making.

Dato Jimmy Choo

  Choo opened his first workshop in Hackney, North London, in an old hospital building in 1986. By 1996 he established his luxury icon brand, Jimmy Choo.
  He rose to fame for the quality and style of his handmade women's shoes. He designed shoes for the British royal family, in particular Princess Diana, who donned Choo's footwear everywhere she went.
  Choo also designed shoes for celebrities who walk on the red carpet in Hollywood.
  I was lucky enough to meet Choo during a year-end family vacation at Pangkor Laut Resort in Perak, recently.



   Choo is seldom in Malaysia as he is busy running his shop in London designing shoes, handbags, eyewear and clothing. He was on a vacation on the island resort with his family and I took the opportunity to have a quick chat with him over lunch.
  Choo said Princess Diana was one of his greatest fan and he had designed several shoes for her over seven years.



  "Working with Princess Diana was always easy. She would tell me what colour dress she is wearing and i will design the shoes for her accordingly and she was always happy receiving the end product," said Choo.
  On why he chose to spend the holidays here, in Pangkor Island Resort, Choo said "it is to rejuvenate and get inspiration".

Dato' Jimmy Choo visits Pangkor Laut Resort to rejuvenate and get inspiration

    "Pangkor Laut Resort is nestled amidst an ancient rainforest, on a private island fringed by white sandy beaches and emerald waters. Here is where I get inspired and motivated. I am able to rejuvenate my creative spirit. If you look around, there is beauty everywhere. You see hornbills flying around and all that, including the sound of waves hitting the white sandy beach is very motivating," said Choo.



  Pangkor Laut Resort, owned and developed by YTL Group is set along the Straits of Malacca, three miles off the West Coast of Malaysia.

Pangkor Laut Resort previously voted 'Number One in the World' by Condé Nast Traveller'

   Of the island's 300 acres, only about 25-30 acres is developed with luxury sea villas, spa villas, hill villas, garden villas and private estates.
  Declared a paradise by the late Pavarotti and previously voted 'Number One in the World' by Condé Nast Traveller, the wooden villas blend seamlessly into the forest. The walls curve around foliage, and roofs open up to allow trees to continue on their journey to the sky.
  Pangkor Laut Resort is not only home to one of the world’s premier resorts but also to variety of wildlife like long-tailed macaques, oriental pied hornbills and white-bellied sea eagles.



  Before our conversation came to an end, I told Choo how Bollywood may come calling to him.
  I pointed out to Choo that his name has already been mentioned in a few Bollywood hits like "Abhi toh Party Shuru Hui Hai" from the movie "Khoobsurat" (2014) while artist Diljit Dosanjh had composed a song entitled Jimmy Choo Choo.


INTERVIEW WITH DATO' JIMMY CHOO BY 7-YEAR-OLD YOUTUBER