MOST people know Datuk Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat as the world famous shoe designer whose clientele includes Hollywood celebrities and members of royalty.

Few are, however, aware of the humble beginnings of the Penang-born who only studied until Year Six and worked his way up from cleaning the toilet at a shoe factory in London and surviving on instant noodles.

Choo's love affair with shoes started when he was a child in the 1970s. He had to help at his father's shoemaker shop in Penang Road.

"I studied at Shih Chung primary school up to Year Six and after that, I had to help my late father, Choo Kee Yin, at his shop where I learnt shoe-making skills," he said.

It was during a holiday trip in London in the 1980s that Choo heard of Cortwainers College, now known as London College of Fashion. He decided to study footwear and shoe designing in the college.

Choo showing his award to wife Rebecca and daughter Emily.

"My father paid for the college fees for the first year but for the remaining three years, I had to work part-time in restaurants and a shoe factory to pay for the fees and my living costs," he said, adding that he had to do odd jobs at the factory such as cleaning the toilet and sweeping the floor.

After graduating from college, Choo returned to Penang for a few years before going back to London to work in a larger shoe factory to gain more experience in pattern cutting and designing.

In 1986, Choo set up his own shoe workshop by renting an old hospital building in London.

However, the first four years were the hardest years for Choo as business was very poor. The turning point came when Choo's shoes were featured in popular fashion magazine, Vogue, in 1988.

Soon, his shoes were featured in more fashion magazines and Choo started to earnestly design shoes for couture fashion shows.

"Though I was steadily gain- ing recognition in fashion maga- zines and fashion shows, I was not making money because I had very few clients," he said, adding that he was so poor that he could only afford to eat steamed chicken or curry chicken and sometimes, just instant noodles.

His reputation in producing elegant, feminine, custom made shoes reached the ears of the late Princess Diana in 1990 and she became his regular client. His business then started to flourish.

Today, Choo is an internationally renowned couture shoe designer and also a spokesman for the British Council, the ambassador for Footwear Education and a visiting professor at London College of Fashion.

Although he resides in London most of the time, he still considers himself a Penangite at heart.

Choo may have received many awards in recent years but the most meaningful to him was the recent DSPN award conferred by Penang Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas in conjunction with his birthday celebration on July 10.

Speaking at a press conference after attending a small cocktail reception at Rasa Sayang Hotel, Choo said he was very proud to be Malaysian, especially so, a Penangite.

"Being conferred this award is like a dream come true for me as it comes from Penang, where my roots are," he said.

Choo received the award from Abdul Rahman at the latter's newly refurbished official residence.

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