Born Tamara Yeardye on the 7th July 1967, in London, England, she is a fashion designer, magazine editor, and businesswoman best known to the world as chief creative officer and co-founder of the luxury shoes, handbags and accessories brand Jimmy Choo. Her career started in the late ‘80s.
Have you ever wondered how rich Tamara Mellon is, as of early 2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Mellon’s net worth is as high as $180 million, an amount earned through her successful career.
Tamara Mellon Net Worth $180 Million
Tamara is the daughter of the actor Rock Hudson’s stunt double Tom Yeardye and his wife Ann Yeardye, who was a model for Chanel. When she was nine years old, she and her two siblings moved to Beverly Hills, with the whole family, settling in a house which was next door to Nancy Sinatra. Tamara split her summers between California and UK, and went to two independent schools in Berkshire- Brigidine Convent School, and Heathfield St Marry’s School, but also attended finishing school in Switzerland, at the Institut Alpin Videmanette, which is now defunct.
Before Tamara became a highly-respected fashion designer, she worked at Phyllis Walters Public Relations, Mirabella, and was then employed at British Vogue as accessories editor in 1990. Later, she was approached by Jimmy Choo to launch their own shoe line, as Tamara’s name became well-respected in high-end designer accessories. She borrowed the money from her father, and with Jimmy Choo started the shoe company. By 2001, their company became one of the well-respected high-end fashion designer firms, and had more than 100 wholesale clients, including Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols and Harrods, among many others. Their first store opened in London was found on Motcombe Street, and soon they had stores in New York, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills and other popular prestige locations. Then in 2001, Jimmy Choo company struck a deal with Equinox Holdings Ltd., which expanded their production to handbags and a small leather goods collections. The success of the firm increased Tamara’s net worth to a large degree.
Three years later, a majority holding of Jimmy Choo was acquired by Hicks Muse, and then opened several other stores in such cities as London, New York City, Boston, Moscow, Milan, Dallas and others. Until 2011, Tamara served as a chief creative officer, at which point the firm was sold to Labelux.
Two years later after she left Jimmy Choo, Tamara started her own shoe brand Tamara Mellon, however, her company went bankrupt just two years after the launching.
Besides activities in the fashion industry, Tamara also has influence on political questions and business, as she sits on board of the New Enterprise Council, a group of entrepreneurs who advise the Conservative Party (UK) on policies related to the needs of business, and is also a global trade envoy for Britain, appointed by the British Government.
When it comes to her most recent enterprises, she has filed a lawsuit against Jimmy Choo, for stopping her from using services of luxury shoemakers in Florence, Italy for her own benefit.
Thanks to her contribution to British fashion, she was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010, and four years later she received the Fashion Pioneer Award at the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Awards.
Tamara is also an author; she has published her autobiography “In My Shoes” (2013), in which she depicts her rise to stardom with Jimmy Choo.
Regarding her personal life, Tamara was married to American businessman Matthew Mellon from 1999 to 2005; the couple has a daughter together.
Tamara had suffered alcohol and drug addiction in the past, but has since fully recovered.
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