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!