Why are Tamara Mellon shoes so expensive, and are they worth it?+
They sit at a luxury price because the shoes are made in Italy, the same kind of family-run factory tradition Mellon worked with when she co-founded Jimmy Choo. The label sells direct-to-consumer rather than through wholesale, so by her own account she no longer marks the shoes up the way a traditional luxury house would. If you want a pair you will wear repeatedly rather than once, the cost-per-wear case is what makes them worth it.
How do Tamara Mellon shoes compare to Jimmy Choo?+
Tamara Mellon co-founded Jimmy Choo before launching her own brand in 2016, so the Italian craftsmanship lineage is shared. The big difference is the model: Jimmy Choo grew into a wholesale-driven house, while her eponymous line was built as a direct-to-consumer brand, cutting the wholesale margin that traditionally multiplies a luxury shoe's price. Same pedigree, different route to your wardrobe.
Who is Tamara Mellon, and what is her connection to Jimmy Choo?+
Tamara Mellon is a British fashion entrepreneur who co-founded the luxury footwear brand Jimmy Choo. While working as an accessories editor at British Vogue, she approached bespoke shoemaker Mr Jimmy Choo with the idea of launching a ready-to-wear shoe firm, secured funding from her father, and built the production operation in Italy. She later founded her own namesake brand in 2016.
When was the Tamara Mellon brand founded, and who runs it?+
She founded her namesake luxury footwear brand, Tamara Mellon, in 2016, with co-founder and CEO Jill Layfield and chief data officer Tania Spinelli. Building it around a CEO and a data chief signalled from the start that this was a modern, direct-to-consumer venture rather than a traditional fashion house.
Where are Tamara Mellon shoes made?+
The brand draws on Italian shoemaking, the same supply base Mellon established when she built Jimmy Choo by sourcing material from factories in Italy and setting up an office there for production and quality control. That Italian manufacturing heritage carried straight into her own label.
What is Tamara Mellon's background before founding shoe brands?+
She came up through fashion media and PR. Born Tamara Yeardye in London in 1967, she began at Phyllis Walters Public Relations and Mirabella, then in 1991 became an accessories editor and assistant at British Vogue. It was that accessories-editor vantage point that led her to pitch a ready-to-wear partnership to Mr Jimmy Choo.
Did Tamara Mellon write a book about her career?+
Yes. In 2013 she published the autobiography In My Shoes, in which she details her rise to success and her partnership with shoe designer Jimmy Choo. It is a candid read, covering both the business story and the personal struggles she has spoken about openly in interviews.
How successful was Tamara Mellon at Jimmy Choo?+
Very. By 2001 the Jimmy Choo company had over 100 retail clients including Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman. When the business was sold, Mellon made an estimated 85 million pounds from her share in 2011, and she appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List. That track record is the credibility she brought to her own brand.
Has the Tamara Mellon brand had financial difficulties?+
Yes, and it is part of the public record. Her shoe and apparel brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2015, after which the American private equity firm NEA made a $10 million cash injection as part of the reorganisation. The recapitalisation plan was approved in early 2016, the same year the relaunched namesake brand was founded.
Has Tamara Mellon received any honours?+
She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours for services to the fashion industry, and in 2014 received the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award. She has also served as a "global trade envoy for Britain" promoting the country's fashion industry overseas.
Which pair of Tamara Mellon shoes should I buy first?+
Start with a versatile heel rather than a statement style, since the cost-per-wear logic the brand is built on only pays off if you reach for the shoe often. Italian-made leather and a comfort-minded fit are the brand's strengths, so a classic pump or sandal you can dress up or down is the safest first investment. Add the bolder styles once you know how they sit on your foot.
