The Man Behind The Name
The world knows the brand. I had the privilege of meeting the person. What one day with Datuk Professor Jimmy Choo taught me about humility, kindness, and why character will always outshine success.
Jace Chong
7/30/20261 min read
They say never meet your heroes.
But meeting Datuk Professor Jimmy Choo left me with an impression that I’ll carry for the rest of my life.
I recently had the privilege of interviewing him for Boss Never Off Season 2. To say this was a special moment would be an understatement.
Most people know him as the global fashion icon. But I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten to know the man behind the headlines.
What struck me the most wasn't his success or his accomplishments.
It was how he treated the people around him.
During the shoot, I directed him through a number of posing shots. Despite being one of the world's most recognisable names, he followed every direction with enthusiasm and even added his own touches to make the shots better.
At one point, he kept asking his assistant to record the behind-the-scenes footage because he wanted to show others how professional the team was.
Then there was a moment where his kindness brought the entire set to silence.
He noticed that one of my assistants had visible scarring on her face. He gently asked whether it caused her any pain and immediately offered to arrange a cream that might help.
For me, those small moments said more about Jimmy Choo than any headline or biography ever could.
After more than 20 years working in television and documentary production, I can say this was one of the most humbling experiences.
At 78 he is still doing what he loves. And he left me with a piece of advice that really struck a chord with me.
“Do the things that make you happy. If you are not happy, find out why you are not happy.”
The episode airs on this Friday and I can’t wait for the audience to see for the themselves a man whose success is remarkable but whose humility is even more so.
