NW youths bringing hope to others

A 9-year-old in Vancouver, Wash., is putting smiles on the faces of children around the world -- by putting shoes on their feet.

"A lot of kids in Africa or in India, they have to walk to school in bare feet -- and that can cause infections on their feet," the 9-year-old, Abbey Kadlec, tells KOIN. "So shoes are very important."

Over the weekend Abbey organized a party and shoe drive in conjunction with Texas-based non-profit "Shoes for Orphan Souls."

Her goal was 30 pairs of shoes. However, with donations from her church and from around the country, there were 100 pairs before this party even started.

"Just collecting shoes, and having a whole party, is fun," she said. "...And I thought, if I was doing it for a good cause, it would be even more fun."

And while this little girl helps people across the world, another group of youth volunteers was doing their part to help people in Portland.

More than 20 volunteers at the Union Gospel Mission this weekend put together free hygiene kits for those who are homeless. The "Hope Totes" contain soap, deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and other street essentials including a pair of socks.

"This is the third year we've given away Hope Totes at Easter," said Stacey Kean with the Union Gospel Mission. "And our guests ... are very grateful to have these items."

In 2012 the Union Gospel Mission handed out more than 500 "Hope Totes" to people in the Portland area. The mission is expected to give out 500 more this year during its annual Easter brunch this Sunday.

Once Datuk Jimmy Choo gets into the topic of shoes, he can't stop. The footwear maverick discusses his passion and his latest project over lunch.

JIMMY Choo – or Datuk, if you're into formalities – was due to arrive at L'Heritage restaurant in The Royale Chulan Hotel Kuala Lumpur for lunch with the media any minute.

When he finally does, looking dapper as usual in a customary black suit, heads snap to attention and camera shutters go click-click-click.

After several perfunctory hellos and handshakes, Malaysia's most celebrated shoe couturier sidles into an empty seat across from me. The excited chatter that filled the room only moments before dies abruptly. What is it about Choo that commands respect so easily?

Whatever the reason, it's this very ability to stop people in their tracks that landed Choo a stint as Tourism Ambassador for the country.

Today, he's out to fulfill that role, by promoting the 1Malaysia International Shoe Festival (MISF) that's happening this week. The four-day affair, themed 1Malaysia – Walking in Unity, Sole of the Nation, will showcase Choo's own line of handcrafted couture shoes (under Jimmy Choo Capsule Couture Collection) alongside 150 other local and international brands.

“I think the festival marks a step forward for our local shoe industry because in the old days, our manufacturers have to travel abroad for exhibitions. MISF makes it easier to showcase the immense talent we have in Malaysia,” says the Penang-born, London-based Choo.

Sitting across from me, Choo looks less like a person whose name has been immortalised in countless fashion magazines and movies, and more like a benevolent uncle everyone wants to meet.

Despite the slicked-back hair and equally sleek facade, he is a traditionalist at heart, prattling off words like “family” and “hard work” – expressions that are increasingly meaningless in today's society – in between mouthfuls of the amuse bouche.

It's no wonder then that, for the festival, Choo himself will be coming up with eight different artisanal shoes strongly influenced by time-honoured heritage and design. Entitled Mahkota, the collection incorporates a precious array of ethnic fabrics, from the common (tekat and songket) to the unusual (pua kumbu, pua sungkit, dastar, tohlian, kelingkan and telepok). Hand-woven and hand-embroidered using traditional methods that are passed down from generations, these fabrics are part of a vanishing craft.

“We're planning to incorporate these into the soles, the heels, the straps. You can say it's a tribute to our rich artistic culture,” says Choo, showing us some preliminary sketches of the designs.