The Jimmy Choo Story: Power, Profits and the Pursuit of the Perfect Shoe
(2009) is almost aptly titled. The first two – power and profits – are
abundant, but the pursuit of the perfect shoe gets lost in the business hype.
This is not a book about Jimmy Choo, the man, the person from Malaysia who made
his first pair of shoes in 1969 for his mother – ‘classic black slingbacks with
a diamante buckle.’ Learning the shoe trade from his father, and studying in England,
Jimmy Choo (1948-) rented a small workshop in London, making great shoes. This
is about the business of J. Choo Ltd. – with and without Jimmy Choo.
The book commences, not with Jimmy Choo, but with Tamara Yeardye (now
Mellon) – which is not an effective opener. She was with Vogue magazine in
1991, at the age of 24, as an assistant to fashion director Sarajane Hoare,
when she convinced Jimmy Choo to launch a factory-produced line of shoes. Hence
J. Choo Ltd. was established (with 50% of the shares each to Tamara and Jimmy),
although Jimmy still worked in the workshop. His wife’s niece, Sandra Choi,
helped him with the designs and assisting his customers.
Choo opened his first store in London in August 1996. By 2001 the company
was thriving. But Jimmy sold his 50% share of the company after ‘creative
differences.’ Sandra crossed the floor
to join Tamara expand her share of the business – keeping the company name –
losing contact with her uncle. Jimmy was paid out with a number of conditions:
he could continue making shoes for his private clients provided that he brand
them ‘Jimmy Choo Couture’ and that he never operate outside of London, that his
shoes would always cost more than the factory line of shoes, and ‘that he would
never speak to the press about anything without the explicit permission of someone
in charge at Jimmy Choo.’ Like many designers, big business can leave the
original creator a door mat, as it did with Jimmy –wiping Jimmy Choo shoes on
Jimmy the Door Mat.
Tamara Mellon (1967-) was Chief Creative Officer until she stepped down in 2011
when Labelux bought the business. This is not a pretty story – it is cutthroat
business.This is all about the money as Tamara and Sandra, with a lot of help
from Tamara’s father Tom and mother Ann, chase investors, hire a Chief
Executive Officer, hire outsiders, restructure, expand internationally, open
stores, argue in-house, separate from family and loved ones, sue her mother Ann,
add a controversy or two, eat ambition for breakfast, and go to great lengths
to get shoes on celebrities’ feet. Hearts are cut out and there is blood on the
tracks. There isn’t anyone to admire here, except Jimmy – perhaps he needs his
own book on The Real Jimmy Choo Couture Story because he certainly was not
involved in the writing of this one.
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