In Her Shoes
In 14 years, Tamara Mellon has transformed Jimmy Choo from a small, bespoke cobbler to a global brand estimated to be worth £ 500 million. Mellon started from the ground up, as a shopgirl at the department store, Browns. She had a privileged background – as the daughter of famous tycoon, Tommy Yeardye, Mellon grew up in Beverly Hills, studied at Swiss boarding schools, and followed her heart. ‘‘The Jimmy Choo success was built on hard work, innovation and determination, and ultimately on a woman’s love for shoes,’’ she clarifies.
With 100 stores in 32 countries, the gutsy 43-year-old certainly knows her business. And even if the media continues with its fascination for her celebrity boyfriends (actor Christian Slater was one), her legal issues with her mother or her deliciously free-spirited actions – the Terry Richardson photograph where she posed naked with a strategically placed kitten, is one of the first pictures you come across when you google Mellon she does not worry about what others think. Her daughter and Jimmy Choo are her life, she says. It is the business her father loaned her money to start. ‘‘My father was the most sound and wise person in my life. He was my advisor and my rock and always encouraged me to live my dreams and ‘to feel the fear.’
The making of Jimmy Choo
My vision for Jimmy Choo has always been to build a luxury lifestyle with shoes at the core. We continue to look at other complimentary categories but we do so with a certain discipline so that each builds upon the Jimmy Choo brand story. Inspiration for our collections doesn’t necessarily come from a place, an era or an outfit. I like to call it Zeitgeist – it is more of a mood, a general attitude; it is really a mix of what I have seen and how I feel and there is always the quintessential Jimmy Choo feminine and sensual spirit portrayed through the collection.
I think that my favourite period would have to be the 70s. I love the era for its fashion as well as interiors. I have always had a love for accessories, including vintage jewellery. I like to rework old pieces.
Nothing is sexier on a woman than self confidence. And a bit of sparkle can only make her feel even more dazzling.
The inspiration for Jimmy Choo’s Project Crystal (besides the traditional 15th anniversary gift of crystal and Mellon’s love for antique jewellery) comes from the signature jeweled shoes which helped make the brand famous on the red carpet. Also, technology and glamour inspired some of the crystal collection’s key pieces like Niagra and Montana.
They combine silver mesh fused in transparent Perspex, making this collection modern, edgy and yet feminine.
My personal favourite from the celebratory series is Marine, a gorgeously soft-strapped nappa leather shoe with 15 crystal discs rising in a geometric pattern, representing our 15th anniversary, wrapping the foot with long straps tied in bondage fashion. It’s glamorous with an edge. Next year, a new aspect of our collection offers for the first time driving shoes, espadrilles, and more biker boots (the brand launched glamourous trainers earlier this year). We just launched ‘The Choo Connection,’ which is a new interactive section of the Jimmy Choo website; a men’s shoe collection coming out in Autumn Winter 2011, and the Jimmy Choo spirit line. And this is just the beginning of our anniversary year; the best is yet to come.
Behind the empire
People ask me how I juggle between hard-nosed entrepreneur, mum and a sexy icon. You must remember your priorities. I am a mother first and foremost.
As jam-packed as my diary gets, I always make sure that I don’t travel too long without seeing my daughter, Minty (eight years old). She keeps things in perspective for me. But when I am in work mode, I always give it 100 per cent.
One of my key mottos is “feel the fear and do it anyway.” And this is how Jimmy Choo has achieved its success.
I have a huge amount of self determination and belief. I always trusted my instinct. (She recently said in an interview: ‘‘If a woman gets tough in negotiations, she’s difficult, whereas a man would be considered a brilliant businessman.’’) I try not to be in (the public eye) all the time. But only when it is proactive, to talk about the company and the charity projects we support.
I always knew I wanted to work in fashion, but it was whilst I was working as accessories editor at British Vogue that I identified the gap in the market; there was clearly a demand for distinct and stylish shoes that was not being fulfilled, so I approached Jimmy Choo (the bespoke cobbler) and founded the company in 1996. My own signature look is easy, glamorous and with edge.
My advice to fashion entrepreneurs is to be strong in your message to highlight what sets you apart. And never give up.
I am an impulsive shopper. My guilty pleasure is net-a-porter.com. I always start with one item in my basket and end up with far too many! I actually archive all my shoes, bags and key outfits for my daughter, Minty.
(Mellon reportedly owns over 1,000 pairs of Jimmy Choos). I am super organised and with my busy lifestyle, everything around me has to be in place and in an orderly fashion. Elika Gibbs, who runs a company called Practical Princess, organises all my wardrobes, and also archives my pieces that I would like to keep for long term.
Everything is colour coordinated, with its own section.
All the shoes that I wear everyday are available and at hand on display and all my old shoes are stored in shoe boxes with a Polaroid of each on the box for easy future reference.
Like every woman, I still have my favourites.
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