When Everything Is A Highlight: Jimmy Choo X YK Jeong
How did this collab come about?
Sandra: We met through a television show. We have one shoe – the anthracite glitter Abel – that was featured in the television series, My Love From The Star. Having grown up in the Far East as a child, I know what TV means to Asian culture. My Love From The Star just blew up – and the shoe sold out. When I visited Seoul for the very first time, YK hosted a dinner for me and that was when I actually got to meet his friends. It was amazing how the people around the table were interior designers, illustrators, jewellers, art curators, and fashion designers. I loved this whole hub, this community, and everything that was going on.
YK: For me, I've liked Jimmy Choo for years – since it was launched in South Korea, I've styled many Korean stars with the shoes. When the Diamond range was launched in South Korea last year, Sandra came to Seoul. We had dinner and were able to have a deeper conversation – and I wanted to explore the idea of a collaborative range with Sandra. So that's how we met, and began to work together.
Why did you decide to use anthracite glitter Abel in My Love From The Star?
YK: For this drama, the scene where the shoes appear was a very important part of the storyline. I remember watching Sex in The City, the series as well as the films – and it's actually through the series that I learnt more about Jimmy Choo and their styles and silhouettes. I was looking for that shoe. So it was an obvious choice for me to have Jimmy Choo in the scene.
YK, what made you want to work on this capsule?
YK: When I style actresses and stars for red carpet events or television, I realised that over 70 per cent of my shoes of choice were Jimmy Choo. They are the perfect way to finish the look – my go-to. So it is natural for me to want to work with Sandra and Jimmy Choo.
Tell us more about the specifics of the collection.
Sandra: It's based on unique Jimmy Choo silhouettes, our core. So, in the collection, we included the Diamond, which has a recognisable silhouette that has made an important mark in the sneaker world. We also have a pump, which we're known for – it's the silhouette that launched us in South Korea. And on the other hand, we're also experimenting! We discovered new styles, the bloafer design is a first for me. A loafer without a back, a backless loafer. Did you know that is called bloafer? On the Diamond, we have respected the shape, but we're giving her some light, some luminescence.
YK: The Diamond sneaker, for me, represents a new luxury, so I wanted this collaboration piece to cross over between casual and luxury. Right now, I'm wearing a tailored suit but I'm wearing the Diamond sneakers. This style is appropriate for both sportwear and suits. And it's a unisex item for both women and for men. What we added were vibrant colours – for this collection, I wanted to focus on real pops of neon colour. I thought of a diamond being a shining stone that has a different light to it from day to night. The clarity is a little bit different in each one. So I wanted to express that concept through the neon. I wanted the shoes to glow, to shine, and to really stand out.
Some of the styles in the collection are unisex...
YK: These days, when I think about trends, rather than defining a certain look, I think that things are very spontaneous. And I think it is really important to not limit, especially around gender. I think the gender boundary has already been broken. I really think of this collection – with the sneakers, the bloafer – as something that doesn't have any boundaries.
Sandra: As a brand, I think what is important for us is not to restrain ourselves. Who's to say that a boy can't wear pink? Today is about the future, about making things that give people choice.
You're based in different parts of the world. Was that a challenge?
Sandra: Technology helps. A lot of emails, WhatsApp messages, and then YK got on a plane to London!
YK: London is my favourite city in the world, and I wanted to come and see Sandra in London, in the HQ of Jimmy Choo where she actually designs the collection.
Sandra: We video-conference, we email. It's one of those things that is very feasible today with technology. Because the mindset is there, if we want to do something we'll get to it. Nothing is impossible.
First seen in the February 2020 issue of L'Officiel Singapore
