UITM MELAKA BRANCH

CAMPUS ALOR GAJAH

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS STUDY

MBA 111 5D

ASSIGNMENT 1:
CASE STUDY REPORT
ENTREPRENEUR: DATO’ JIMMY CHOO

PREPARED FOR:
MR. NORAZMAN BIN HARUN

DONE BY:

STUDENTS NAME ID NUMBER

NUR IZZATUL AKMA BINTI MOHD KHAZAIRI 2019439834

SUBMITTED DATE : 7 JANUARY 2021

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

NO CONTENT PAGES

1 COVER PAGE i

2 TABLE OF CONTENT ii

3 LIST OF FIGURES iii

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iv

4 1.0 ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE: DATO’ JIMMY CHOO 1

5 2.0 ENTREPRENEUR COMPETENCIES 3

6 REFERENCES 7

7 APPENDICES 8

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 LIST OF FIGURE

FIGURES FIGURES PAGES

NO.

1.1 Picture of Dato’ Jimmy Choo 1

1.2 Picture Of Dato’ Jimmy Choo And His Wife 1

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Dato Jimmy Choo, one of the successful malaysian entrepreneurs who was really into
shoemaking inspired by his father when he was 11 of age. He then moved to England to study
Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney and stayed there for good to start his business
after graduating from the college with honors in 1983. He instantly got famous after getting
featured in Vogue magazine in just a meantime. Dato Jimmy Choo even got noticed by the
queen herself, which was queen Diana. Choo even got hired by an accessories editor at Vogue
to make fashion shoes for shoots then became a business partner for ready-to-wear footwear.
They then split up for him to return to his original small shop he started in London. He finally
became a successful entrepreneur with the exclusive Jimmy Choo collection and produces a
limited number of pairs of shoes each week.

Being a successful entrepreneur, Choo really has many good characteristics which are,
concern for high quality of work, problem solving, self confidence, use of influence strategy,
open culture, network, proactive, risk taker, observant and visionary. These competencies he
owned gathered by many websites, shows that he is really serious in building his brand and
having a his best life. He understands the culture of the foreign nation in order to guarantee
that the items they promote suit the tastes of the consumers which means he has his open
culture traits and confidence in his handmade shoes made him where he is now widely
well-known. Furthermore, he handmade his shoe himself even though his brand is
well-known to make sure the quality meets the requirements of his high-end clients, for
example Helmut Lang and Paul Smith.

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1.0 ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE

Figure 1.1 Picture of Dato’ Jimmy Choo

Figure 1.1 shows a picture of Dato’ Jimmy Choo a co-founder of Jimmy Choo Ltd
who is a well-known fashion designer for his handmade women’s shoes. According to
Biography.com, 2014, Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat was born on November 15, 1984 in Penang
Malaysia. Jimmy Choo was so into shoemaking in the early age since his father was a shoe
cobbler. His father also told him to follow his footsteps in the future and finally Choo made
his first pair of shoes by age 11.

Figure 1.2 Picture Of Dato’ Jimmy Choo And His Wife

Regarding wikipedia, 2022, he is married to Hong Kong native Rebecca Choo (figure
1.2). The couple has two children: a girl (Emily) and a son (Danny). Danny Choo created a
Smart Doll, and his father designed the doll's shoes.
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 Retrieved from Biography.com, 2014, after mastering the art of shoemaking from his
father, he then flew to England in the early 1980’s to further his studies at the Cordwainers
Technical College in Hackney. He then graduated from the college with honors in 1983. He
decided to stay in England with his first shop in Hackney in an abandoned hospital building
in 1986. Choo started to get his name more popular in no time and got the chance to be
featured for Vogue magazine in an eight-page spread. Jimmy Choo was known in the
celebrity world and even got noticed by Princess Diana who would love to wear his shoes
everywhere she went.

Biography.com, 2014, also stated that Choo was still a small business even though
with his popularity after engaging with Vogue magazine. In that time, he produced about 20
pairs of handmade shoes every week. Choo was then hired by Tamara Yeardye Mellon who is
an accessories editor at Vogue to make fashion shoes for shoots. Choo and Mellon became a
partner for a line of ready-to-wear footwear and quickly grew their business together. They
then opened their first ever boutique shop after contracting with an Italian factory in London.

According to the same website, after a long year being successful, global brand Choo
is dealing with the high-end retail customers that included Harrods and Saks Fifth Avenue
that carried Choo footwear. His brand also produced handbags and accessories. In 2001, he
sold his half of the company for 30 million dollars to Robert Bensoussan of Equinox Luxury
Holdings after he and Mellon were still unsure about their company.

Biography.com also told that Jimmy Choo finally turned back to his original small
shop he opened earlier in London. The small shop is now the headquarters for Jimmy Choo
Couture, the exclusive Jimmy Choo collection. Choo produces a limited number of pairs of
shoes each week and trains and instructs a small number of students in the production of
high-end footwear.

According to wikipedia, 2022, he also has gathered many awards since 2002, from
being recognized for his services to the shoe and fashion industry in the UK to being a
member of the Red Dot product design jury in 2013.

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2.0 ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCIES

2.1 Concern for high quality of work

According to Lifestyle Asia, 2017, he handmade his shoe himself even though his
brand is well-known to make sure the quality meets the requirements of his high-end client.
For example, he was once given the opportunity to make a shoe for Helmut Lang and Paul
Smith and was told that never went home for four days just to finish a high quality of his
handmade shoes.

2.2 Problem solving

Regarding Biography.com, 2014, he solves his own problem after founding himself
and Tamara Mellon are not the same in vision and direction of the business. He does not want
his business to become a bigger business. Instead he sold half of the company even though it
was too risky and came back to his old small shop in Hackney to produce a small quantity of
shoes to his client.

2.3 Self confidence

According to lifestyle asia, 2017. media coverage is good for Jimmy Choo and would
not reject any interviews because being involved in one was the one that made him
well-known which was featured in Vogue. His confidence in his handmade shoes made him
where he is now widely well-known. Started with his small shop in London, now he is a
superstar in the shoemaker world.

2.4 Use of influence strategy

According to Vogue, 2020, his shoes are still popular among celebrities of Oscar
winners such as Renee Zellweger, Carlie Theron and Lady Gaga and more. Jimmy choo has
worked for many influential people such as the Royalty, Princess Diana and even Vogue
Magazine, a trendy fashion magazine of all time.

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2.5 Open Culture
According to Entreprenuertraits97.blogspot.com, 2016, the goal of open culture is
also linked to people's lifestyles outside of the range. As an entrepreneur, they must
understand the culture of the foreign nation in order to guarantee that the items they promote
suit the tastes of the consumers. Jimmy Choo was in charge of guaranteeing the success of his
company. Mintzberg's thinking reflects his managerial approach. Mintzberg theory is divided
into three categories: interpersonal connections as a leader, manager, and individuals in touch
with outsiders. He does his job in a manner that is pleasant to his customers. For example,
Jimmy Choo is a shoe designer who was favoured by Princess Diana throughout his lifetime
due to his management style and customer-oriented mentality.

2.6 Network
According to the same website in 2016, as a successful entrepreneur, Dato' Jimmy
Choo has demonstrated strong networking skills. His network began in 1988, when he
displayed his shoe designs at London Fashion Week. Nobody recognised Jimmy Choo at the
time, but he was incredibly lucky since Vogue's Kate Phelan noticed his shoes and informed
him that they will be published in Vogue. It was a tremendous start for Jimmy Choo, and it
drew the attention and interest of Princess Diana, who wore Jimmy Choo's shoes practically
wherever she went. Vogue promoted Jimmy Choo's brand, which gained the attention of
Vogue's accessories editor, Tamara Mellon, and both Choo and Mellon became partners when
they created Jimmy Choo Ltd. Jimmy Choo's network, on the other hand, has not been placed
on hold since their relationship ended. His network expanded further in 2004 when he
collaborated closely with Tourism Malaysia. He was picked as an ambassador and was in
charge of organising several television shows and press interviews.

2.7 Risk taker

According to dcjykbiography, 2015, every entrepreneur faces risk, no matter how
great or little. They are courageous enough to place themselves in a situation where there is
no certainty. Dato Jimmy Choo exhibited these characteristics after attempting to launch his
own shoe business by renting an ex-hospital building that had been abandoned in Malaysia
after completing his studies in London. This circumstance might be categorised as an open
risk taker characteristic because he had never been the owner of any store or carried on any
business on his own previously.
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2.8 Observant
Entreprenuertraits97.blogspot.com, 2016 also states, Jimmy Choo began from the
bottom and learnt from his father. His father was a successful shoemaker who taught him the
most of the skills that propelled him to success. He would watch his father meticulously hand
sew the bottoms of his customers' shoes, and when he was 12, he constructed his first pair of
shoes for his mother with his father's help. His father's remarks pointed him in the correct
path, emphasising the value of talents. Aside from that, he is constantly aware and up to
speed on the current fashion trends. He characterises a good pair of shoes as having a sturdy
foundation, and he suggests that we use this notion in our daily lives. Finally, Choo remains
focused on his primary purpose of designing couture footwear for particular clientele, which
he professes to like and excel at, and is glad that he has moved away from the spotlight. He
also believes that shoes may affect a woman's personality and that love is crucial in their life.
"We all wear shoes every day because we have to," he explained. As a result, they are an
essential element of your outfit. They are referring to the way you hold your body. Shoes
must be both stylish and comfy. They have an impact on a person's personality.

2.9 Visionary
Next, on the same website, Jimmy Choo is a visionary and forward-thinking
businessman. He is also a highly visionary individual. He was inspired, and his creations
were influenced by nature and the surroundings. Despite the fact that he faced numerous
hurdles in the past, his positive attitude helped him overcome many of them in order to
achieve his desire to head the Jimmy Choo brand up until now. He was involved in an
initiative to establish a shoemaking institute in Malaysia, where his iconic position inspires
aspiring shoemakers and fashion designers. Furthermore, Datuk Jimmy Choo never
considered himself the greatest in any industry since this philosophy is very vital even if one
day you become a famous fashion designer in the globe. Furthermore, today's success is
viewed as a ratio for natural and contemporary fashion design. If he had to pick between a
profession and a family, Jimmy swiftly replied that he would choose to share love with their
large family.

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REFERENCES

A&E Television Networks (2014). Jimmy Choo Biography. Retrieved from;

https://www.biography.com/fashion-designer/jimmy-choo

Cheang Hui Yi, Nur Syazana Bt Mohd Ashraf Mathews, Norafiqah Bt Azaman, Nur Halimah
Bt Margono, Nur Altirah Bt Mohd Anuar, Maryam Mufidah Bt Che Sobry (2015). A
Focus on Dato' Jimmy Choo. Retrieved from;
http://asaskeusahawanan101.blogspot.com/p/a-focus-on.html

Dewi Nurjuwita (2017). Shoe Designer Datuk Jimmy Choo: “I Started From The Bottom. My
Parents Weren't Rich”. Lifestyle Asia. Retrieved from;
https://www.lifestyleasia.com/sg/living/people/datuk-jimmy-choo-importance-nice/

Entrepreneurgrouph2016 (2016). Open Risk Taker – Jimmy Choo. Retrieved from;

https://entrepreneurgrouph2016.wordpress.com/2016/11/13/open-risk-taker-jimmy-ch
oo/

Entrepreneurtraits97 (2016). Biography Datuk Jimmy Choo And His Traits. Retrieved from;
http://entrepreneurtraits97.blogspot.com/2016/11/biography-datuk-jimmy-choo-and-h
is_16.html

Pakee Tan (2020). Here’s why Jimmy Choo is the red carpet secret celebrities and royalty
swear by. Retrieved from;
https://vogue.sg/jimmy-choo-made-to-measure/

Wikipedia (2022). Jimmy Choo. Retrieved from;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Choo

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APPENDICES

A1. Photo of Dato Jimmy Choo

A2. Images of Jimmy Choo Ltd Logo

A3. Image of Dato Jimmy Choo’s shoes