Jimmy Choo, maker of glamorous accessories favoured by international stars and elegant women worldwide, was launched in 1996.
As accessories editor at Vogue UK, Tamara Mellon sensed a real demand for stylish but wearable shoes and approached Mr Jimmy Choo, a couture shoe-maker based in the East End of London, recognized for his excellent craftsmanship.
Tamara partnered with Mr Jimmy Choo to start the ready to wear company and sourced factories in Italy to produce the shoes on a larger scale. Consequently, plans were made to open the first Jimmy Choo stand alone boutique and to develop the wholesale business throughout the fashion capitals of the world.
In April 2001, the expansion of Jimmy Choo took a significant step forward with the announcement of a new partnership with Equinox Luxury Holdings Ltd. Equinox acquired Mr Choo’s share of the ready to wear business with Robert Bensoussan, Equinox’s chief executive becoming CEO of Jimmy Choo. Within 3 years, the company opened twenty six new stores, (in addition to the existing four) and introduced both handbag and small leather goods collections.
This was followed by another dramatic move on 19th November 2004 with Lion Capital announcing the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Jimmy Choo, in a transaction valuing the company at £101 million.
In February 2007, Jimmy Choo once again made the headlines after being acquired by TowerBrook Capital Partners, a deal which valued the company at £185 million. Whilst TowerBrook hold the majority stake, Tamara Mellon will continue to oversee the company's creative direction, working in close collaboration with Creative Director, Sandra Choi.
In June 2007, Joshua Schulman joined Jimmy Choo as CEO, succeeding Robert Bensoussan. After spending most of his career with renowned luxury brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Richard Tyler, and international retail groups such as Gap Inc and Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis, Josh's extensive experience will further develop and support Jimmy Choo's established network of directly operated stores, franchises, and wholesale partners around the world.
With 2007 marking the eleventh anniversary of the company, Jimmy Choo now enjoys the visibility of a major luxury brand with over 60 branded stores in many of the world's top locations.
