JIMMY CHOO is a name no self-respecting red carpet would be complete without. And, while the label is adored by the A-list, it’s also coveted by millions of women around the world, the Holy Grail of high heels.
So it’s hardly surprising that Wirral designer Helen Robotham is more than a little excited at the prospect of joining the famous fashion house.
The 25-year-old, from Wirral, is less than two weeks away from beginning an apprenticeship with Jimmy Choo in London.
She won the six-month paid placement after impressing an illustrious panel of industry judges at Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden Accessories 2009.
Helen was one of five finalists interviewed by experts including Sandra Choi, the label’s creative director, and Lorraine Candy, editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, under the chairmanship of Tamara Mellon, the woman credited with the successful globalisation of Jimmy Choo.
Clearly they were impressed with her unusual designs, which she herself describes as unstructured and rebellious.
In fact, laughs Helen, rebellion has always been something of a theme in her work – and her personal style.
“I was interested in fashion from an early age, but I’d dress differently from everyone else,” she smiles. “I had one side of my hair shaved and I used to wear my clothes upside down.
“I didn’t actually buy a lot of clothes, but I used to save and save until there was a sale on in Vivienne Westwood and then, on special occasions, I’d ask my mum for things. So my wardrobe was never that extensive, and I wasn’t even looking at the quality so much as wanting to have one-off things that nobody else had.
“I would buy a lot of Topshop boutique stuff and then, as soon as I got them home, I’d be putting them on inside out and back to front!
“I think there was copious amounts of eyeball rolling at home, but my mum and dad just accepted it in the end and I think now they can see there’s a method in the madness.” After leaving Upton Hall school, Helen did a foundation course at Liverpool Community College before heading to Northumbria University to do a BA in fashion marketing. It was there that a tutor recommended she specialise in accessories.
