World-renowned shoe designer Jimmy Choo's latest "Fukushima" brand name footwear incorporates traditional craftwork from the struggling prefecture.
World-renowned shoe designer Jimmy Choo's latest "Fukushima" brand name footwear incorporates traditional craftwork from the struggling prefecture.
"I want people to have confidence in the Fukushima name and its potential and try to make Fukushima brands with a broad appeal," said Choo, who created six pairs of original high heels to present as a gift to the prefecture, home to the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The London-based shoe mogul likened Fukushima's troubles with its reputation in the three years since the nuclear accident, despite the high quality of the region's products, to the time he suffered poor sales even though he had excellent skills.
The late Princess Diana's high regard for Choo's eponymous brand of shoes helped make him famous. Some of his shoes have sold for more than 100,000 yen ($979) a pair.
Choo has a great fondness for Japan, one also shared by his son, Danny, whose job involves spreading anime, games and other Japanese culture around the world.
At the invitation of an acquaintance, Choo visited Fukushima for the first time in April, where he spoke to audiences including traditional craftworkers and young artists.
The shoes, which were donated to the prefectural government and the city of Aizu-Wakamatsu, are made with three materials: Aizu cotton and Aizu lacquerware, which have more than 300 years of tradition, and
Some of the central government and municipal officials who attended the event reportedly suggested selling the six pairs of shoes to raise money for reconstruction.
But Choo had a different idea.
"Reconstruction won't happen with contributions alone," he said. "Reconstruction will come after they find sustenance from the harmful rumors and various difficulties and hardships, bounce back from them and think about how to raise Fukushima's value."
After working for his father in his hometown on the Malaysian island of Penang, Choo moved to England on his own. No matter how poorly his shoes sold, he made sure to put his name on the insoles. Choo believed this was the perfect way to show the world how wonderful his skill and designs are.
With the six new pairs of shoes, though, he has replaced his name with "Fukushima."
Choo says he wants people to be able to view the shoes. "This is how amazingly Fukushima's traditional craftwork can be reborn. I hope (Fukushima's artists) will try to do this sort of thing on their own in the future."