It all began one Saturday on an elegant street in Belgravia. Motcomb Street was then home to only one Jimmy Choo boutique, the tiny epicenter of a still-young brand. Hannah Colman sold shoes there on weekends, never imagining that this hushed space would become the starting point of a decades-long story.

Her Saturday shifts gradually transformed into a daily responsibility. She learned about the brand through hands-on experience, by listening, by the customers who came in, hesitated, and returned. The boutique became her laboratory. When she took over as manager, she already knew every detail, every expectation, every silent promise contained within a pair of shoes.

The years passed, and the scope expanded. From London storefronts to international markets, Hannah Colman nurtured the brand’s growth as one would nurture a living being. She climbed the organizational chart, took charge of entire territories, and then global e-commerce, all while retaining that invaluable, hands-on knowledge that cannot be taught. Following Pierre Denis’ departure, she oversaw the transition and, in 2020, took the reins of the company permanently.

Under her leadership, Jimmy Choo scaled up without losing its distinctive style. Revenue soared, reaching $605 million in 2025, but the real success lay elsewhere: in the opening of new boutiques, in the presence of an actress on the red carpet, in the emergence of new objects of desire. Shoes remained the beating heart, but around them, bags, licensing agreements, and extensions unfolded, reshaping the brand without altering its essence.

Approaching its 30th anniversary, which the brand will celebrate in 2026, Jimmy Choo retains a certain intimacy. It’s a way of operating inherited from its beginnings, almost familial, despite being part of a large group. This continuity owes much to the woman who nurtured it from within.

“I grew up with this brand,” she confides. “I know its reflexes, its expectations, its silences. I started in the boutique, in direct contact with customers, and I never wanted to lose that connection. I continue to spend time with them, because that’s where everything begins and where everything is tested.”

Jimmy Choo’s story could be read as that of just another luxury brand. But underlying it all, it tells of a rare loyalty: that of a woman to a brand, and of a brand to its origins.

FM