Operation Santa Claus: amateur shoe designers impress the master, Jimmy Choo

Iconic shoemaker Jimmy Choo praised the skills of amateur Hong Kong design hopefuls participating in a festive stiletto sketching competition of which he will be picking the winner.

Roses, sunsets, and spiderman designs were among the 2,000 submitted by members of the public to be judged by Choo as a part of a charity fundraising event held by Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel.

The vibrant designs, which were coloured onto outlines provided by Choo, were put up for display in the two-storey lobby, where they will be on display until December 28. Choo's own sketch was pinned at the centre, showing a seasonal green and red design.

"If you look, these designs are all really good, and there are a lot of interesting ideas," said Choo. "I had to go to college to study shoe design but it seems like people taking part in this contest don't need to."

Choo said that the high quality of the designs were testament to Hong Kong's ability to foster young creative talent in a city he believes to be Asia's cultural hub.

"There are a lot of talented young people here, and a lot of people supporting and promoting design," Choo said, describing how Hong Kong's diversity and low taxes also served to draw in fresh talent from abroad.