Jimmy Choo’s creative director Sandra Choi knows firsthand what it’s like to be mentored and now she’s lending a helping hand to young designers.
“A mentor is important to serve as a mirror, they are honest and enable you to see things you might not want to see. I don’t have a specific mentor but I have a few trusted individuals who help me find clarity when I am struggling to see if for myself,” said Choi.
“A good mentor is able to role reverse the situation to help you find the right outcome,” she added.
At London Fashion Week, the designer worked with the young American designer Conner Ives for the second time for his fall 2024 collection based on American debutante balls and Truman Capote’s Swans.
“What I love about Conner and how he does things is that there are no boundaries, everything is just made exquisitely beautiful and his cleverness of resourcing everything that is around him pulled everything together — that to me is art,” said Choi.
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Failure and success go hand in hand for the designer. It’s something she’s overcome while working at Jimmy Choo for over three decades. “There are always failures, you release the frustration then you pause, reflect and learn from it to understand what you can do better. You have to fail to truly know what success is.”
Confidence and keeping an open mind are key traits for pushing forward ideas. “Know your craft and be open minded as the two go hand in hand in allowing you to move forward and remain relevant. Also, to believe in yourself and have conviction.”
A version of this article appeared in the June 3 print issue of FN, as part of the “Women Who Rock” special section. On June 5, FN and Two Ten Footwear Foundation will honor these women at a live event in New York City.
