Jimmy Choo co-founder and chief creative officer Tamara Mellon has abruptly left the company she established 15 years ago with little notice or explanation.
Mellon sold the company in May to Labelux for £525 million. Both Mellon and her chief executive officer Joshua Schulman were expected to stay on as creative consultants. However she’s abandoned her new post, walking away with £85 million, or roughly $120 million US, in her pocket. Schulman has also tendered his resignation and plans to leave the company next year.
Mellon has not issued a public statement on her split with Jimmy Choo, so we’re left to speculate on her move. Insiders are suggesting that she’s cooking up something new with Schulman. Word is that they may start an entirely new brand. That handsome payout could definitely finance something of the sort. Mellon was recently named Harper Bazaar’s Businesswoman of the Year, so she’s certainly got the business nous to make it happen.
I’ll be interested to see where Jimmy Choo goes from here. It was never quite the same company since its namesake’s departure, but Mellon’s presence helped it retain its original heart. I wonder what the future holds, for both the Jimmy Choo fashion house and the wildly talented Ms Mellon.
[Source: Hollywood Reporter]
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