Jimmy Choo's Archive Collection Includes Carrie Bradshaw's Most Famous Heels

For Jimmy Choo’s 30th anniversary, Creative Director Sandra Choi tapped clothing designer Conner Ives and fashion journalist Alexander Fury to help curate a capsule collection of eight designs that capture the brand’s history. Sifting through over 14,000 styles, the trio decided to narrow down their focus: They shifted their gaze to the brand’s first five years, delivering “The Archive: 1997–2001.”

“We had just begun making couture shoes during this time period, so we were a bit more daring with our materials,” says Choi. “It was a treasure trove of texture and experimentation, with many ideas that are still essential to Jimmy Choo today: ladylike and glamorous high heels, exotic animal patterns, playful jewels, and strong silhouettes."

The final edit reflects these essential brand codes, and then some. Inspired by popular Y2K handkerchief tops, a silver chainmail thong [2000] that requires eight-plus hours of craftsmanship is “the embodiment of sexiness,” says Choi, while a soft mint nubuck slide [1999] represents “the formality of casual at the time.” There’s also a python-print leather boot that hits mid-calf [2000], a spotted and snakeskin-embossed heel with a bow [2000], and a satin strappy sandal in classic black [1997]. A gold sandal with a floating floral corsage [2001] is a personal favorite of Ives, who has paired his ready-to-wear designs with Jimmy Choo shoes on the runway. “Having the sequin purple flower between the toes is humorous, but it doesn’t feel like a joke,” he says. “It’s just a fun pair of shoes, which is needed now more than ever."

Two of the most playful reissues from 1998 have ties to Sex and the City, the series that first put Jimmy Choo on the pop-culture map. The Leo—a leopard-print, ankle-strap style worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the show’s opening sequence—is back, along with the lilac suede, feather-adorned 72138 heel about which Carrie Bradshaw infamously exclaimed, “I lost my Choo!” The memorable design—described by Choi as “fantasy on the foot”—was already out of stock when the episode aired in 2000. “This is the first time that this shoe is available to fans,” explains Fury. “It’s a piece that I would love for my own archive, so it was exciting to revisit.”

Thanks to fashion’s cyclical nature, the brand’s earliest designs have also caught the attention of a new generation of footwear fanatics—including Ives, who was born the same year as Jimmy Choo itself. Says Choi, “This particular period feels rich with nostalgia for those who were there, and discovery for those who weren’t.