Tamara Mellon became almost as famous as the brand she has developed, Jimmy Choo, now worth a few hundred million. 15 years ago, she decided to leave a comfortable position at Vogue magazine to set up her own company.
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| Source: jimmychoo.com |
The risk of venturing into a new business paid off and today she can have a private jet available within an hour, in her own words, " a useful extravagance"; Being at the helm of a multinational brand does demand a lot of traveling.
Tamara Mellon's business acumen has received the recognition of the Queen, with an OBE for services to the fashion industry and she was recently in China as a Global Trade envoy of the Prime Minister, David Cameron.
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| Source: ibtimes.com |
Regarding Jimmy Choo in particular, she came back with a plan to open 50 new Chinese stores by 2016 to respond to the growing demand for luxury goods by the emerging young and super wealthy citizens.
For more information about this Asian giant, I do recommend China Shakes the World by James Kinge, winner of the 2006 Financial Times & Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award.
Tamara Mellon certainly embodies the Jimmy Choo woman and is a living proof that you can be feminine and sexy and still be successful in a male-dominated business world. After 15 years, she holds the reins of a fashion empire!
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| Source: jimmychoo.com |
In conjunction with the brand's 15th anniversary, Jimmy Choo releases this October a coffee table book - Jimmy Choo XV - published by Rizzoli.
With a foreword by fashion Journalist Colin McDowell, it chronicles the 15 most significant shoes from the company's archives and reflects on what has made them hallmarks of the brand style and renown.
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| Source: jimmychoo.com |
It's a visual tour through captivating imagery shot by photographers such as Mario Testino and Terry Richardson, editorial from the world's top fashion magazines, paparazzi shots from the red carpet, design studio sketches and behind the scenes photography.
The company will donate 10% of the proceeds from Icons collection and 100% of the book to the Jimmy Choo Foundation, a charitable trust. The book will be launched exclusively at Jimmy Choo stores worldwide from 26th October. The perfect gift for Christmas!
Jimmy Choo XV
(£60, Rizzoli)
Other Fashion books:
'Erotic Chic' Fashion Images by Carine Roitfeld
A Decade of Fashion and Style