Tamara Mellon

Tamara Mellon is the founder of TAMARA MELLON brand and former chief executive officer and chief creative officer of Jimmy Choo. Mellon cultivated her skills early, working as accessories editor at Brittish Vogue before founding Jimmy Choo. Mellon’s strong sense of business and product led her to the roles of responsible for the company’s creative vision and strategic direction, as she nurtured the brand through a period of explosive international growth. During her time at the helm, Jimmy Choo grew from a single London boutique to one of the most prominent and innovative luxury brands in the world with over 145 stores across the globe. Jimmy Choo was awarded the 2008 ACE Designer Brand of the Year award, the 2008 British Designer Brand of the Year award from the British Fashion Council, the 2008 Footwear News Brand of the Year award and the 2009 Nordstrom Partners In Excellence award. In 2011, Labelux purchased the brand for approximately $800 million.

Mellon has been recognized for her professional achievements on a personal level. Ronald Perelman appointed Mellon to the Revlon board in 2008 and she still sits as board director today. In 2010, she was appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron as Ambassador for International Trade, promoting Britain’s business abroad. That same year, Queen Elizabeth II honored Mellon with an OBE (Order of the British Empire), for service to the fashion industry. Mellon has increasingly dedicated her time and attention to philanthropy and the personal advancement of others. She has been a longtime patron and friend of Elton John’s AIDS Foundation, through which she is responsible for building rape shelters in South Africa and cultivated a fund to treat 500,000 women across Africa. She regularly hosts NPSA: The Neuropsychoanalysis Foundation speaking engagements at her home. She is deeply connected to the fight against domestic violence, gender discrimination and women’s empowerment. In 2013, Mellon announced the creation of the TAMARA MELLON brand, a luxury lifestyle brand offering a full range of apparel, shoes, handbags and accessories. The brand launched in November 2013 with a select group of premiere retail partners in the United States and Europe.