A Day with Jimmy Choo’s Sandra Choi

Who knows more about the pressures of running in heels than a footwear designer? As the creative director of Jimmy Choo, Sandra Choi takes an average of 6,000 steps on a normal day at home and at work in London’s Battersea neighborhood, but she never runs out of energy when the clock is ticking.

6:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m.

Off on the Right Foot

I rush out of bed, get myself ready, and look at my schedule. Then I wake my 5-year-old, Phoenix, get her dressed, have breakfast, and I’m out the door to do a school run.

8:00 a.m.

Family Time

In between, I find moments to bond with my second daughter (Cyan, 2), which is really important because the rest of the day belongs to Jimmy Choo. I grew up in Hong Kong, where there is a certain hurried pace—you try to fit as many things as possible into every day there, and I still do. But maybe that’s just part of being a modern woman.

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Choi’s youngest follows in Mommy’s steps.

12:00 p.m.

The Shoe Fits

It’s bonkers meetings back-to-back all day. I’ll come in from a meeting about cruise wear, prep to show fall, and then write a brief for spring 2017.

Jimmy Choo pumps, $795; jimmychoo.com

1:00 p.m.

Treadmill

We have four floors at the office, and each is like a 100-meter track, so I walk around a lot. I’m very much a moving person. Rather than emailing or picking up the phone, I get up on my feet and visit people in the office—and yes, I do change into flats.

Choi’s inspiration snapshot, from a recent visit to L.A.

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Jimmy Choo bag, $1,895; saksfifthavenue.com

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

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9:00 p.m.

Clear the Inbox

I’m trying to make sure 2016 is about a work-life balance. In the evenings I finally get some peace and quiet, so I can respond to the emails of the day. That’s why people get weird notes from me at all hours. I don’t leave the office until late at night, but weekends are for me and my family. On those days I have a no-email policy.

10:00 p.m.

All Tied Up

When I get home, I talk to my husband, Tamburlaine. He’s an artist. I have to pretend he really exists! I do the morning rituals with the children, and he does the evenings, so there’s a little bit of harmony.

11:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Daily Mantra

I believe in creating beautiful things. If you turn whatever you do into something beautiful, then you won’t ever question yourself. Trust your gut. We usually take a lot of time to make a decision and question everything about it, but ultimately our intuition should make that choice for us. It might even be the first thing you think of!