Datuk Professor Jimmy Choo, OBE teams up with Eu Yan Sang for exclusive Treasure Chest of brand’s TCM favourites
If you’ve got S$1,888 to spare and people you really want to impress this Chinese New Year (CNY), we have just the thing for you.
Malaysian fashion icon Datuk Professor Jimmy Choo, OBE — yes, the very same man behind the eponymous brand synonymous with glamorous heels and red-carpet grandeur — has teamed up with wellness giant Eu Yan Sang to design a limited-edition festive gift set called the “Auspicious Harmony” Treasure Chest Hamper.
Although calling it a “hamper” feels a bit like calling Choo — an appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) whose client list famously included the late Princess Diana — a shoemaker.
Inside each Treasure Chest is a carefully curated selection of Eu Yan Sang’s Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) favourites. These include Australian abalone, premium wild cordyceps, a bottle of Hennessy XO cognac, and three types of bird’s nest products.
Choo, 77, is genuinely a fan of the bird’s nest himself.
A frequent traveller, he tells MS News that the Superior Crystal Concentrated Bird’s Nest bowls are especially convenient. He takes them once or twice a week to help maintain his energy levels while constantly on the move.
Design-wise, the Treasure Chest draws inspiration from British gentlemen’s travel cases, a nod to Choo’s years living and working in London, England. The structured silhouette is layered with auspicious Chinese motifs, such as the Ruyi and Tong Qian, symbols of good fortune and prosperity.
The vibrant orange palette is intentional, too, referencing tangerines and abundance during CNY. The traditional red still makes an appearance, through a custom-designed red packet tucked neatly inside.
How Jimmy Choo and Eu Yan Sang partnership came about
The collaboration came about thanks to Choo’s long-time friendship with Dato’ Sri Anne Eu, Chairman of Eu Yan Sang Malaysia.
“We were having afternoon tea a few months ago when she asked if we could do something together for Chinese New Year,” Choo recalls. He added that he “said yes immediately”.
Choo with Dato’ Sri Anne Eu at the Treasure Chest Hamper launch event in Singapore.
Image courtesy of Eu Yan Sang
For Choo, the decision was not just about friendship, but trust.
He speaks with evident admiration for Eu. In particular, for how she steered the business after her husband, Joseph William Yee Eu, passed away. Under her leadership, Eu Yan Sang’s Malaysia operations grew stronger than ever.
“I respect her,” he says. “If I do something, it must be with trust and respect. Otherwise, I wouldn’t do it.”
That trust also extends to the brand itself.
Choo’s relationship with Eu Yan Sang predates this partnership by decades. Growing up in Penang, he remembers cycling to the shop as a boy to help buy medicine. This was long before he ever imagined a glittering career in fashion, let alone designing a festive gift set for the heritage brand.
“TCM has been part of my life for a very long time,” Choo shares. “My parents believed in balancing the body through herbs and nourishment, and I carried that with me even when I moved overseas.”
Passing it on to the next generation of designers
That belief in continuity extends beyond health. As Choo once told Fashionista, his parents impressed on him a simple principle: “When you’re learning a skill and learning all the knowledge, you must pass it on.” And that’s exactly what he did.
He sold his stake in his namesake luxury label and stepped away from the business in 2001. Choo shifted his focus from scaling a global brand to teaching, mentoring, and hands-on design.
Since then, he has continued working on his own couture line, The Atelier, while increasingly channelling his energy into education.
In 2021, he founded the JCA London Fashion Academy, where he now imparts decades of industry experience to aspiring designers.
Source: @jcalondon on Instagram
For Choo, teaching is about giving young designers what he did not always have early in his career: real-world exposure, hands-on experience, and an honest understanding of how the industry works beyond the classroom.
At JCA, students are encouraged to think not just creatively, but entrepreneurially. They learn to navigate the realities of modern fashion with both artistic and business acumen.
Eu Yan Sang × Jimmy Choo Treasure Chest Hamper is more than a fashion statement
This emphasis on longevity, usefulness, and passing things on runs through Choo’s collaboration with Eu Yan Sang.
While the Treasure Chest houses premium TCM goodies, Choo points out that the box itself is meant to have a life beyond the festive season. Not that anyone in their right mind would toss aside something this stylish and solid, of course.
“After you finish the products, you can put your cash, your jewellery, everything inside the chest. But make sure you keep it in a safe lah, otherwise people will carry it and run away,” he says with a laugh.
The Treasure Chest was also showcased as a fashion piece at its launch event held at Pan Pacific Singapore last Tuesday (16 Dec). Choo, Eu, and other guests and VIPs attended the event.
During the event, models walked down a red carpet carrying the eye-catching trunk. They highlighted its dual role as both a functional keepsake and a design statement.
Image courtesy of Eu Yan Sang
Only 100 sets to be released in Singapore
It is, unsurprisingly, super exclusive. Only 100 of the Eu Yan Sang × Jimmy Choo Treasure Chest Hampers will be released in Singapore. Each priced at S$1,888.
While it is undeniably a premium purchase, the Treasure Chest goes beyond its contents. It also carries a broader message around health, care, and longevity — values that are deeply personal to Choo.
Between constant travel, long working hours, and running multiple projects across Europe, Malaysia, and China, health has become increasingly important to him.
As a result, he is considering slowing down in the new year. This includes travelling less where possible, paying closer attention to his well-being, and focusing on balance, from what he eats to how he manages his energy.
In that context, the Treasure Chest becomes more than just a luxury purchase. It serves as a reminder that while some things come with a price tag, good health is ultimately the most priceless thing of all.
Those keen on the Eu Yan Sang × Jimmy Choo Treasure Chest Hamper can enquire at Eu Yan Sang outlets, or reach out via 1800-888-1879 or eyss.corporatesales@euyansang.com.
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Featured image by MS News. Photography by Hannah Teoh.
