Jimmy Choo Monograms

The main expertise sought by Jimmy Choo when I am asked to be present in store is clearly my ability to paint initials live for a fairly short time. A skill that is all the more valuable as the material located underneath the shoes (a kind of suede) does not allow alterations. You have to be confident enough to paint in “straight line”, without errors, without shaking, sometimes under the watchful eye of customers and salespeople. It’s a challenging situation that not only doesn’t put pressure on me but also amuses me a lot. Small challenges that I enjoy taking up, because my relationship with letters is solid and is not new.

A regular and rigorous typography for monograms

The exercise of the monogram in direct line is very different from calligraphy or graffiti. Gestures must be precise and rigorous. Shapes must be balanced, aligned, centered, consistent. The vast majority of customers choose very academic typefaces. Even if one might tend to think that painting this type of lettering is of no interest, it has a lot for me. First, because in its essence, it is about letters and requires very high technical qualities. Also by the satisfaction of taking up the challenge.
There are more and more artists who offer the personalization of leather goods with monograms. But few of them can claim to paint well-proportioned letters freehand: I do what it takes every day to be and remain in this category.

Personalization in luxury

The possibility of personalizing precious objects has existed for a long time and in a certain way I am aware that I am part of this old tradition of craftsmen. And for this intervention to be legitimate and justified, it must be in a search for perfection of the gesture, of the technique. There is a quest for excellence, attention to detail. Like what we could find in high gastronomy. That’s what I try to do in my discipline, bringing when I can my personal little “touch” in the style. Not in the case of monograms obviously.