Prepare For Shoe Envy!

How much can you tell about a woman from her shoes? Three fash-pack insiders throw open their wardrobes to talk us through their epic collections.

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THE GLAM FAN

SANDRA CHOI, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, JIMMY CHOO

She’s been reinventing glamour for 20 years at iconic London label Jimmy Choo, so it will come as no surprise to discover that Sandra Choi’s own shoe wardrobe is a shrine to the sexy heels that are synonymous with her brand. She learned her trade from her uncle, Mr Choo himself, and after establishing the company in 1996, she’s kept it at the top of its game ever since. And as Sandra essentially is the Jimmy Choo woman – powerful, glossy and super-cool – it makes perfect sense that she should road-test the collections herself. ‘If I think of something that’s missing from my own wardrobe, then I will probably just design something to fill that gap,’ she says. Well, you would, wouldn’t you?

How many pairs of shoes do you think you own?

‘Probably 600. I’ve been working here for a long time, so my wardrobe is kind of my portfolio! I’m not alone, my husband is a shoe hoarder, too. We have boxes everywhere at home. When people ask me, “Why do you need so many?” I just tell them that I’m going to open my own museum one day.’

Is it tempting to keep every single pair you design?

‘I get very attached when I’ve spent hours making something perfect and, conveniently, I am the sample size, so yes it is. There’s a purpose for everything,though, like in the pre-fall collection there are all these different rich velvets, tough cages and sexy laces going on, but there’s a perfect occasion for each.’

How do you decide what to wear  every morning?