With the exception of the “Zap Sandal,” the strappy platform with a 13 cm / 5” bright yellow heel that lights up and it’s $2500 (1745 euros) price tag, Tamara Mellon’s shoe line hasn’t made much news lately.
Zap Sandal, by Jimmy Choo
The current (spring/summer 2010) Jimmy Choo collection is not without its moments, and the shoes will probably continue to sell well, but they lack the artistry of a Blahnik or a Louboutin; and most of them have that already-seen-somewhere feeling to them.
Jimmy Choo’s president, Tamara Mellon, arguably set out to conquer the world more than create works of art for the feet, and by market signs, she seems to be well on her way.
Tamara Mellon was born in 1967 to a mother who was a former model and a successful entrepreneur for a father. Her shoe fixation revealed itself when at the age of four, she fell irrevocably in love with a pair of cowboy boots she saw while visiting Paris. Her business sense revealed itself at at 17, when she found herself selling t-shirts in a clothing stand on Portobello Road in London (despite her family’s wealth, according to her, she was taught the value of working).
She attended high school in Beverly Hills (her father’s work required them to move to Los Angeles for a time), followed by English boarding schools, then a Swiss finishing school with the future Princess Diana. She began working in fashion journalism and partying with other socialites until she ended up in rehab for 6 weeks in 1995. She was working as Vogue U.K.’s fashion editor when she decided to go into the shoe business. At the time, she, like Diana and other girls from wealthy families, had been buying her handmade shoes from a Malaysian shoemaker named Jimmy Choo. She made him a proposition: with his designs and her management and marketing, they would create a luxury prêt-a-porter shoe line. Her father agreed to invest 150,000 pounds.
Angela Lindvall photographed by Terry Richardson for Jimmy Choo
Mellon and Choo were not destined to become one of fashion’s successful creative duos, however. Irreconcilable differences resulted in Choo retreating to his couture creations while his niece, Sandra Choi continued the prêt-a-porter work. Mellon, admitting that she knew nothing about making shoes, concentrated on what she did best – PR.
She understood the priceless value of having a star wear a designer’s creation, and set her sights on Hollywood, organizing personalized fittings for the Academy Awards. Then she targeted the American television series Sex and the City that had already openly supported Manolo Blahnik. After Mellon went to work, the show’s actresses were talking about their Jimmy’s.
Jimmy Choo’s high PR profile eventually attracted the interest of Robert Bensoussan of Equinox Luxury Holdings. By this time, relations between Choo and Mellon had deteriorated to the point that he sold his part of the company bearing his name to Equinox for 6.9m pounds; Mellon was kept on as company president, Mellon’s father as chairman and Choi was named creative director.
Mellon used the capital injection to diversify: a line of handbags was launched and more than 25 new boutiques were opened. In 2004, Lyon Capital took over: Mellon stayed on as president and the number of boutiques increased to 36. In 2007, Tower Brook Capital stepped in for 185m pounds: Mellon is still there and perfume and eyewear are being added.
Cole sandal, Jimmy Choo S/S 2010
Jimmy Choo continues to succeed largely because Mellon’s determination drives it. She has become the company’s icon. “I’m the customer as well as the person driving the business,” she said. “I know what she wants to wear, where she eats, where she goes on holiday, her whole lifestyle.” Although she puts forth a hard-working, single mother image, saying that she has the “guilty-mother syndrome,” (she has a 5 year old daughter from a former marriage to Mellon fortune heir, Matthew Mellon II, which ended in drugs [his], infidelity with a 22-yr-old [hers] and divorce), she is also a finely tuned business machine. Her image is Jimmy Choo and she makes sure it is as flawless as possible: personal trainers, customized vitamin drinks, no cigarettes or alcohol (except for the occasional obligatory champagne), and a 11pm bedtime to keep her looking fresh. She is photographed at all the most luxurious social events around the world, often with her movie-star boyfriend, Christian Slater.
Tamara Mellon, president Jimmy Choo shoes
What’s in Mellon’s future? According to her, Jimmy Choo business will grow to four times its size over the next five years (she retained a 10-20% share). Also, she was tapped by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to head up Halston’s comeback, aided and abetted by the stylist to the stars, Rachel Zoe. Whatever the project, money is on that Mellon is in for the long run, and she’ll be, as Beyoné sings, “kicking it in [her] Jimmys.” Through the eyes of those around her? “She’s very sweet, but in a glacial way,” said an acquaintance. “To give her credit, most fashion consists of gay men selling things to women and she’s one of the very few women at the top.” “She doesn’t play by the rules,” said one. “I remember meeting her when she was heavily pregnant and smoking, which I found a bit shocking. She doesn’t seem to care about convention.” Mellon on Mellon? “I just want to build one of the greatest luxury brands in the world;” and, “The person who has the money has the control.”
And whatever happened to Jimmy Choo, the artist behind the shoe? Mellon claims that he “was very happy to sell his shares for the amount he got.” Whatever the case may be, the real Mr. Choo has returned to making shoes his way, the way Princess Diana loved them, made to measure by hand, for Jimmy Choo Couture.