Tamara Mellon, one of Britain’s most respected female entrepreneurs announced over the weekend her formal resignation from the multi-million dollar accessories firm that she helped build. Mellon, who co-founded the business with Malaysian-born British cobbler Jimmy Choo in 1996 and has since served as Creative Director for the firm, will stay on until a suitable replacement can be found. According to The Telegraph and Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) Mellon’s resignation will coincide with the departure of Jimmy Choo CEO Joshua Shulman. The pair will make their exit just over six months after the brand was bought by private equity firm Labelux, yet according to WWD both departures are completely amicable despite the fact that neither executive is leaving to fill another position.
Speculation that Mellon may be winding down her business commitments to launch a project of her own have persisted since mid-summer when she stepped down from her adviser position with beleaguered American fashion house Halston. Mellon exited Halston on the heels of the high profile departures of President Sarah Jessica Parker and Board Member Harvey Weinstein who left the label on less than amicable terms. However sources close to the Reimann family, primary shareholders of Labelux have hinted that certain Labelux executives are less then pleased with the state of Jimmy Choo since they bought the label from rival private equity firm Towerbrook for the hefty price tag of $800 million.
Whatever the reason behind Tamara Mellon’s departure it will certainly mark the end of an era for Jimmy Choo, as with all businesses but especially in fashion, a company always takes on a new identity after the departure of a founder. In an interview with Footwear News Joshua Schulman summed up the impact that both he and Mellon had best, saying “From a financial point of view, we grew the business significantly. And we transitioned Jimmy Choo from a niche brand focused on the U.S. and Europe to a [global] lifestyle player.”
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