Sandra Choi To Receive Special Recognition Award At The Fashion Awards 2026

By Jessica Ye (Jessica Yap)

Sandra Choi has been part of the Jimmy Choo story for almost as long as the brand itself has existed.

Now, nearly three decades after joining the house as one of its founding creative voices, Choi is being recognised for her contribution to the fashion industry with a Special Recognition Award at The Fashion Awards 2026.

Announced by the British Fashion Council, the award will be presented at The Fashion Awards on 30 November at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Choi joined Jimmy Choo in 1996, when the London-based label was beginning to establish itself as one of fashion’s most talked-about names. Over the years, she has played a central role in shaping the house’s creative direction and its distinctive approach to glamour, footwear and accessories.

Three decades later, Jimmy Choo remains one of Britain’s best-known luxury fashion names, with its shoes and accessories continuing to feature across fashion, music, film and popular culture.

That longevity is a significant part of what makes Choi’s recognition so meaningful.

Fashion is full of designers who arrive, make their mark and move on. Choi’s career at Jimmy Choo has been rather different. She has remained with the house throughout its growth into a global luxury brand, while continuing to develop its creative identity as Creative Director.

The British Fashion Council is also recognising Choi’s contribution beyond her work at the design table. She has championed craftsmanship and emerging talent, shared her experience through mentoring and supported British fashion on the international stage.

It is something Choi herself highlights in her response to the award.

Looking back at the beginning of her journey in East London, she says that what stays with her most is not simply what the brand became, but the people she worked alongside. She also credits the collaborative nature of fashion, describing it as the work of many people rather than the achievement of one individual.

That feels particularly appropriate for someone who has spent so much of her career helping to shape a house that has become part of fashion’s wider cultural vocabulary.

Laura Weir, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, describes Choi as one of fashion’s most respected creative leaders. She highlights Choi’s role in shaping Jimmy Choo into a global brand while championing the people and talent behind the industry.

The Special Recognition Award will be presented during The Fashion Awards 2026, which returns to the Royal Albert Hall on 30 November.

For Choi, it marks a remarkable chapter in a career that began in East London in 1996 and has since taken Jimmy Choo around the world.

Three decades, countless shoes and one very recognisable name later, there is certainly plenty to celebrate.