Every successful person has a story, one that tells of their journey from being a nobody to somebody. Such tales intrigue me. It always helps to learn about success from a person who has been there done that. As the saying goes, “If you wish to be the best you got to learn from the best". Not just that such people always have a few pearls of wisdom to offer, some interesting experiences to share. It is in quest of such a story and experience that I attended the seminar of 'Jimmy Choo'- an internationally renowned U.K. shoe designer at British Council on September 3rd '09. I have heard about several branches of design such as fashion, textile, jewellery etc but I must confess that shoe designing was something unheard of for me. Gosh, talk about opportunities!
The credit for this opportunity goes to my sister. She's the one into fashion after all. Besides, the passes were limited! The talk was scheduled for 2 pm. It was facilitated by Edwise on behalf of The University of Arts, London. We reached an hour early. Much to my delight we got to sit in the second row! The first seat was reserved for press and staff members. The topic of the talk was "Life and Inspiration" - good enough to tempt any learning enthusiast! Isn’t it? ;) There was a delay of 45 minutes. Maybe that's the way it is with VIPs’ ?!? Meanwhile the auditorium was almost full. Students were busy chit chatting for lack of anything better to do. When you have an air-conditioned auditorium in a scorching weather , right ambiance, comfortable seats and someone as interesting as your sister and a friend from UK to talk to , you don't realize how time passes!
A representative announced that Jimmy would be there soon (i.e. he was late!) and our patience was requested for. Some of the students , I observed were busy eyeing each other curiously, perhaps figuring which fashion student based on their dressing sense really looked like one! Ha-ha I'm sure that tells you that I was doing the same ;) The much awaited moment finally arrived. Dressed for the occasion, sporting a warm smile, Jimmy stepped confidently on the stage.. I'm not sure how to describe the colour of his suit. The black he wore seemed deeper and better than any black outfit I've seen so far! Colin Caraghan, Deputy Director of The University of Arts accompanied him.
Charlie walker the director of programs at BCL welcomed them. Students did the same with a thunderous applaud. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement! This, Charlie mentioned, was Jimmy’s first visit to India. He had recently gone to China on a similar tour. Thanks to proper lighting and location of our seat, Jimmy’s features were clearly visible. He had an air of of serenity about him. And his eyes seemed to reflect wisdom and depth. He began the talk with his life story just as I had expected. Having belonged to a family of shoe makers he learnt the craft at an early age. He knew how to make a shoe but not how to design it. To learn the same he decided to study in London. He couldn't think of Italy or Paris for the languages weren't known to him. English he thought he could manage somehow.
He approached the principal of Cordwainers College, better known as London College of Fashion today. He was scared to get rejected for lack of required qualification. The principal asked for a shoe specimen which upon being produced marked a new chapter in Jimmy's life. The former realized that the lad had talent. Needless to say Jimmy got the admission. His father was encouraging but he couldn't afford to pay for anything else except the fee. Jimmy was elated. An opportunity like this was all that mattered to him. Two fifty Euros for a year he stated was a big amount at that time. Young Jimmy chose to count his blessings, something I’m sure he does till date.
He then shared how his teacher once laughed at his sketches in front of the entire class. Humiliation prompted him to to practice harder. On another occasion a teacher refused him entry in the classroom. “But I’ve paid the fee like any other student”, he fumed silently. The teacher’s motive he later learnt was to impart the lesson of punctuality to him. He also explained Jimmy how it distracted him if students entered late in the class. Jimmy took the lesson to heart. He told us how if he were to reach somewhere at 8 for work, he’d be there at 7! Also, how he started work in a rented hospital room for lack of sufficient funds. The sales were bleak so he decided to survey the local markets. He instantly reduced the rate of his sandals in the hope of getting some clients. Some earning was better than nothing
In a while, two ladies approached him. The number of sandals they needed were few so no factory would take up the job. Jimmy consented to produce the requisite number of pieces for them. He later learnt that they were designers who never gave him the due credit for his work. At a later stage he was approached by two more ladies. They were designers too. They couldn’t pay him much but they said they could make him famous. This was a great chance to prove his caliber. He worked hard to create some beautiful pieces. The women did fulfill their promise. He saw his name in print – next to theirs. “Designers have to work harder than a service man”, he remarked in a serious tone, “sometimes 16 hours a day”. “And there are nights you don’t get to sleep”, he added in a nonchalant tone.
For Jimmy, the best was yet to come. Thanks to all the publicity , he piqued the curiosity of the editor of Vogue. Jimmy received an unexpected 8 page coverage. “I had always wanted to see my name in print”, he stated, his face alight by now.“Eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture”, he added . The coverage acted as a catalyst in catapulting him to fame. For a long time no one was aware that he helped grace the feet of Princess Diana for seven years. I could sense reverence and gratitude in his voice as he spoke of her. Gradually, he became “The Jimmy Choo” we know today. Success only seems to have made him more humble.
It’s interesting to note how often he maintained eye contact with me and my sister as if we were his pupils! People in the back rows must have wondered if I had a spring attached in my neck. I nodded so often looking straight at him in the eye!
He then shared some life lessons with us.
*Always remember those who help you.
* Always respect your teachers, parents and clients.
* Never get angry. Try to stay calm always.
* Go for what you love not what you think would make you famous.
(He said so twice for emphasis sake. I couldn’t have agreed more.)
* Believe in yourself
Next we were permitted to ask him questions if we wished to. I was the first one to
ask. “You mentioned how your father taught you shoe making. There comes a point of time in our life when we ask our self ‘What should I do with my life?’ Was there ever a situation in your life that made you realize that yes this is exactly what I’d like to do in my life. Or did you just go for shoe designing because it was a family business. And son’s in many families even in India are expected to join the family business or follow their father’s footsteps”. “My father made me learn by observation” he reflected. He then explained that though initially he was forced to learn the craft, gradually he got so interested that he decided to pursue it as a profession. “I wanted to make my father proud”, he uttered.
In response to my sister’s question which was “ How he thought fashion helped him touch lives”, he stated ( though not in the same words) that sincere work always affects lives positively. “Do you design your own shoes?” another student asked. “Yes I do”. He flashed a smile. There was a twinkle in his eye now. ‘And if need be I’d be happy to design high heeled shoes for Indian men! There was uproar of laughter. Perhaps he was conscious of his own height! A bespectacled press person seated in the right row questioned about his Hollywood Clientele. Many students laughed at that question. It seemed quite shallow in contrast to the questions previously asked. Apparently he just wanted some juicy gossip. He asked for the mike again. “Tell us about your Bollywood clients”.
Interestingly the girl ( another press member) seated behind him asked the same question again. I could sense irritation surging within me and much to my amusement probably within a few other students too. We were there to learn about his experiences not if he was associated with the glamour world. Knowing the latter wouldn’t have served us in anyway! Much to their dismay Jimmy didn’t pounce upon this opportunity to brag. In fact he hardly took any name but one – Lakshmi Mittal. Had these people cared to do some pre-interview research, they would have easily found the answer over here ->
http://www.yuddy.com/celebrity/jimmy-choo/bioWith 2 more questions from the audience and some by Colin, the talk came to an end.
Jimmy agreed to sign some post cards that the students were handed prior to entering the auditorium. We were asked to make a queue near the stairs leading to the stage. A table was placed in the centre of the stage next to a chair for his convenience. “I luuuuv your shoes”, a girl drooled on the stage while taking his autograph, she placed her hands on her chest momentarily maybe to add a good dramatic effect! ;) Two girls standing next to me giggled amongst themselves. “Jhoothi” one said to the other while eyeing the girl standing on the stage. I couldn’t help but feel amused. My sister and I stepped together on the stage. When he was signing my card I said, “You know I’ve always believed that to be successful in life you need to have a good value system and today you validated that for me. Thank you”. “Thanks for coming”, he uttered with a smile. I stepped off the stage feeling assured that a few years down the line I shall meet him again. However, I would have become something by then and I’d have my own success story to relate to the people!
His tone was polite, his words encouraging and his disposition- pleasant and humble. He seemed like a man in control of his senses and thought process. I surmise his religion Buddhism and a strong value system was the reason for that. Who wouldn’t want to bathe in the presence of such a person? Though in addition to those a strong character , I realized is a pre-requisite else it becomes difficult to stomach success and fame as if often the case with certain rising celebrities. Also that makes success not a journey but a temporary or short lived junction.
