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The Towering World of Jimmy Choo: A Story of Power, Profits and the Pursuit of the Perfect Shoe
The Towering World of Jimmy a story of power, profits and the pursuit of the perfect shoe
Hardcover
First published June 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
May 19, 2020
Not what I expected, but still interesting. Lots of focus on the business - buyouts, stock value, luxury goods market etc. Also very much from the Tom/Tamara side of the business not a lot about Jimmy Choo himself.
January 7, 2016
It's a lame story for sexy shoes!
May 18, 2009
The Towering World of Jimmy Choo is about a luxury brand. Lauren Goldstein Crowe (fashion writer) and Sagra Maceira de Rosen (equity analyst) attempt to convey the concept of luxury brands by combining the worlds of high finance and high-society.
The book is not about Jimmy Choo or his shoes. The book is about the company, tracing its growth from start-up to acquisition. Thus, the book will appeal more to business professionals than fashionistas. However, many business professionals may be put off by the good dose of gossip about Tamara Yeardye.
Choo is a Chinese immigrant who arrived in the United Kingdom by way of Malaysia. He was a shoemaker, like his father. Eventually his shoes were used in print fashion layouts. While making custom shoes by hand, Choo could not keep up with his growing socialite clientele. He also yearned for more public success.
In 1996, Tamara Yeardye, and her father Tom Yeardye, convinced Choo to go into business with them to mass-produce luxury shoes, forming Jimmy Choo, Ltd. The book covers the company’s growth into a luxury brand, with global sales and celebrity clients.
Tamara and Choo had different visions of success. Soon, Choo was only involved in the couture line, while Tamara and Sandra Choi (Choo’s niece) designed the mass-produced line. Eventually Choo was no longer a part of the company that bore his name – and no longer part of the book.
Tamara Yeardye became a celebrity in her own right - a celebrity marketer. She became the company’s public face, and was often (mistakenly) credited with the company’s success. She and CEO Robert Bensoussan did not work well together. Until his death, Tom Yeardye was the mediator that kept the machine going despite the riff. Afterwards the animosity between Bensoussan and Tamara put the welfare of the company at risk.
While Crowe and de Rosen use the story and appeal of the Jimmy Choo luxury brand to explore and expose the world of high finance, they also tell (or do not tell) a sad story of a craftsman who leveraged his name for success and became a victim of change.
The book is not about Jimmy Choo or his shoes. The book is about the company, tracing its growth from start-up to acquisition. Thus, the book will appeal more to business professionals than fashionistas. However, many business professionals may be put off by the good dose of gossip about Tamara Yeardye.
Choo is a Chinese immigrant who arrived in the United Kingdom by way of Malaysia. He was a shoemaker, like his father. Eventually his shoes were used in print fashion layouts. While making custom shoes by hand, Choo could not keep up with his growing socialite clientele. He also yearned for more public success.
In 1996, Tamara Yeardye, and her father Tom Yeardye, convinced Choo to go into business with them to mass-produce luxury shoes, forming Jimmy Choo, Ltd. The book covers the company’s growth into a luxury brand, with global sales and celebrity clients.
Tamara and Choo had different visions of success. Soon, Choo was only involved in the couture line, while Tamara and Sandra Choi (Choo’s niece) designed the mass-produced line. Eventually Choo was no longer a part of the company that bore his name – and no longer part of the book.
Tamara Yeardye became a celebrity in her own right - a celebrity marketer. She became the company’s public face, and was often (mistakenly) credited with the company’s success. She and CEO Robert Bensoussan did not work well together. Until his death, Tom Yeardye was the mediator that kept the machine going despite the riff. Afterwards the animosity between Bensoussan and Tamara put the welfare of the company at risk.
While Crowe and de Rosen use the story and appeal of the Jimmy Choo luxury brand to explore and expose the world of high finance, they also tell (or do not tell) a sad story of a craftsman who leveraged his name for success and became a victim of change.
August 10, 2009
i admit it, i like to read about money & business. the international luxury goods sector is not a world i will ever inhabit or even necesaily understand, but i am intrigued by all the wheeling & deailing & curious about how these people seem to basically spin money out of thin air. & i admit this as well--i kind of like shoes. i only have two pairs of modest mid-brand heels & don't think i will ever be interested in a pair of four-inch jimmy choos, but it was still fairly interesting to read about how a luxury brand was essentially invented from the ground up.
even though few of the players in this saga were very sympahetic or relateable. i especially felt bad for jimmy choo himself. it seemed like he could be irascible & somewhat histionic at times, but how weird is it that london society girl tamara mellon would just swoop in there & start designing the shoes? & eventually establish a company that buys the rights to the jimmy choo name? i know that's the way business works, but it still sketches me out a little bit. it made me feel that if i ever was in the market for a luxury heel, maybe i'd go with a designer who still possesses his own brand. & all the fussin & feudin' over money, between people that are already obscenely wealthy...ugh. tamara & her mother stopped speaking to each other over about $7 million worth of shares in the jimmy choo company, even though they both were granted several times that in various sales. now, $7 million is nothing to sneeze at, but when you already have at least $100 million, my sympathies are limited. & insisting that you need to get the shares back for the financial security of your daughter (as tamara claimed), when you are asking your boss for a $1 million/year clothing allowance...pardon me for finding that manipulative.
anyway, a fairly quick & interesting read. like an indusry piece, dragged out into a full-length book. not for everyone, but it was just what i wanted to read during a ridiculously hot weekend with broken air conditioning.
even though few of the players in this saga were very sympahetic or relateable. i especially felt bad for jimmy choo himself. it seemed like he could be irascible & somewhat histionic at times, but how weird is it that london society girl tamara mellon would just swoop in there & start designing the shoes? & eventually establish a company that buys the rights to the jimmy choo name? i know that's the way business works, but it still sketches me out a little bit. it made me feel that if i ever was in the market for a luxury heel, maybe i'd go with a designer who still possesses his own brand. & all the fussin & feudin' over money, between people that are already obscenely wealthy...ugh. tamara & her mother stopped speaking to each other over about $7 million worth of shares in the jimmy choo company, even though they both were granted several times that in various sales. now, $7 million is nothing to sneeze at, but when you already have at least $100 million, my sympathies are limited. & insisting that you need to get the shares back for the financial security of your daughter (as tamara claimed), when you are asking your boss for a $1 million/year clothing allowance...pardon me for finding that manipulative.
anyway, a fairly quick & interesting read. like an indusry piece, dragged out into a full-length book. not for everyone, but it was just what i wanted to read during a ridiculously hot weekend with broken air conditioning.
June 20, 2009
What a waste of time. There's nothing "scandalous" in here that can't be learned from Vanity Fair (though the article is not presently available online), and anyone looking to really learn about the business of fashion should read Deluxe by Dana Thomas.
I guess if you had an obsession with Tamara Mellon, or didn't have the patience to read Deluxe, this is the book for you. And if so, let's not be friends; I will always secretly think you're stupid.
I guess if you had an obsession with Tamara Mellon, or didn't have the patience to read Deluxe, this is the book for you. And if so, let's not be friends; I will always secretly think you're stupid.
February 18, 2010
A giant name-dropping fest about famous people knowing more famous people and a history of the company as it grew. It was dry and provided nothing appealing to any lay person. Only executives in the fashion industry might have anything to gain from reading this. There was scarcely half a chapter about the man behind the name, Jimmy Choo himself.
December 5, 2012
A giant name-dropping fest about famous people knowing more famous people and a history of the company as it grew. It was dry and provided nothing appealing to any lay person. Only executives in the fashion industry might have anything to gain from reading this. There was scarcely half a chapter about the man behind the name, Jimmy Choo himself.
November 30, 2009
Did not finish this book. Way too much financial information about the Jimmy Choo brand. Numbers of stockholders, shares, etc. filled most of the book as well as the zillion designers that jumped ship from other luxury brands. Just couldn't finish it. :(
November 15, 2010
If I could give this book 0 stars I would. I was all excited to read about the world of Jimmy Choo, but this book was a disappointment. It's a string of quotes and TONS of backstory on Tamara Mellon's parents. yawn. Didn't even finish it.
March 7, 2016
Fashion meets corporate history in this giddy mix of high heels and big deals co-authored by a fashion journalist and an investment banker. This pair of female high flyers promise, 'a story of power, profits and the pursuit of the perfect shoe' alongside an enviable collection of endorsements from the great and the good of the fashion world. In the main, they do not disappoint. It's a thoroughly researched and clearly accounted beginners' guide to Jimmy Choo's history and the major characters in the cast. It introduces and intertwines fairly disparate subjects with considerable poise and is highly readable. If I had to point to a fault I'd say, very occasionally, it reads like it was written by committee or by authors taking turns to choose words! I’d guess the best chapters were sculpted by an individual and the few sections where the writing is muddled are the product collaborations or, perhaps, areas of disagreement. My favourites were chapters eight and nine; a potted history of the luxury goods market and a character sketch of former Jimmy Choo CEO Robert Bensoussan respectively.
Founded by the unlikely duo of a youthful, high octane, fashion obsessed, party girl Tamara Mellon and middle aged, Malay-Chinese, master cordwainer Jimmy Choo. The business that started in a workshop in London's East End changed hands for £525m in 2011 and the current owners are discussing a potential £1bn floatation this year.
The book makes reference to a 'keeper of the brand's vision' and Tamara Mellon strikes me as just that during her involvement. She appears the very personification of the glamourous, sexy, international world of Jimmy Choo. The man himself is cast in a secondary role as technical maestro and craftsman; the 'back office' to Tamara's flamboyant 'front office'. This alone strikes me as an awkward structure, not to mention the minefield of culture differences that must have existed between the two. Jimmy's wayward niece from Hong Kong, Sandra Choi, may have helped to bridge differences in culture and personality. She dropped out of Central St Martins College to help Jimmy with the business and is now the company's creative director. Robert Bensoussan, who was brought in by the first private equity backers to professionalise management, also clearly played a big part in the company's success.
Two bits of history from the luxury goods market were of particular interest: Bernie Arnault, the billionaire CEO and Chairman of mighty luxury group Loius Vuitton - Moet Hennessy, was from a French construction family that built vacation homes in France. In 1984 he was working on an expansion into Florida when he quit and gained control of a bankrupt French textile group called Agache-Willot, which in turn owned Christian Dior. He sacked almost everyone at the sclerotic conglomerate, sold assets and made lots of money keeping the Dior brand aside as the foundations of a luxury group he hoped would rival LMVH one day. However, in 1988, the boss of Louis Vuitton, Henri Recamier, called Arnault and asked him to invest in the LVMH group, which had been formed by merger with Moet Hennessy the year before. Recamier hoped to gain Arnault as an allied shareholder against the Moet Hennessy CEO with whom he was having a internal disagreement. However, after gaining a controlling stake and a place on the board Arnault turned against Recamier and had him ousted in a bitter, two year, board room battle eventually gaining control for himself. Such ruthlessness seems commonplace amongst the seriously ambitious; this particular incident reminds me of fellow Frenchman and renowned investment banker Andre Meyer (1898 - 1979).
An equally interesting tale, albeit less bloodthirsty, is that of fellow luxury giant Kering. The owner of brands like Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney started out as PPR, a mid-market department store operator and mail-order catalogue operator in France. It gained its entry into the market in rather unusual circumstances. Again, Arnault plays a prominent part. Gucci had been trading as a public company since 1995 when Arab-backed owners Investcorp floated it. In 1998 the share price fell precipitously owing to the Asian financial crisis and the affect this had on luxury goods sales. The CEO of Prada bought c.10% but then LVMH, led by Arnault, announced a 5% stake and the Gucci share price rocketed in anticipation of a bidding war. However, Prada sold to LMVH at the newly elevated price increasing LVMH stake to c.15%. Arnault, a voracious corporate shop-a-holic and seriously ambitious as we've seen, continued to buy up to c.35% and began asking for board seats in order to gain control. Gucci CEO, Dominic De Sole, was not happy about having his biggest competitor as the largest shareholder and so began “The Handbag Wars”. Gucci employed Morgan Stanley to dream up ways of diluting LMVH and eventually elected to sell PPR a 40% stake, diluting LVMH to c.20% stake with no control and no seats on the board; the two things Arnault coveted. Arnault sued Gucci over this 'white knight' arrangement but lost the case. PPR encouraged the management of Gucci to expand the group and CEO De Sole and chief designer Tom Ford bought several brands and encouraged big name designers to the group creating a luxury conglomerate to rival LVMH. It was not all bad news for Arnault either, he agreed to sell his 20% to PPR at a pre-determined minimum price at any time before 2004 just before The World Trade Center was destroyed by the attacks of 9/11, 2001. Gucci's share price fell 50% after the attacks.
FUN FACTS AND QUOTES
“Where the consumer goes, Wall St. follows”
Johann Rupert principle “price per kg of a product is highly correlated to the inherent profitability of that industry”
Year-on-Year sales in EVERY Jimmy Choo store in the US increased 30-40% in the week after 9/11. Shoe therapy?
Founded by the unlikely duo of a youthful, high octane, fashion obsessed, party girl Tamara Mellon and middle aged, Malay-Chinese, master cordwainer Jimmy Choo. The business that started in a workshop in London's East End changed hands for £525m in 2011 and the current owners are discussing a potential £1bn floatation this year.
The book makes reference to a 'keeper of the brand's vision' and Tamara Mellon strikes me as just that during her involvement. She appears the very personification of the glamourous, sexy, international world of Jimmy Choo. The man himself is cast in a secondary role as technical maestro and craftsman; the 'back office' to Tamara's flamboyant 'front office'. This alone strikes me as an awkward structure, not to mention the minefield of culture differences that must have existed between the two. Jimmy's wayward niece from Hong Kong, Sandra Choi, may have helped to bridge differences in culture and personality. She dropped out of Central St Martins College to help Jimmy with the business and is now the company's creative director. Robert Bensoussan, who was brought in by the first private equity backers to professionalise management, also clearly played a big part in the company's success.
Two bits of history from the luxury goods market were of particular interest: Bernie Arnault, the billionaire CEO and Chairman of mighty luxury group Loius Vuitton - Moet Hennessy, was from a French construction family that built vacation homes in France. In 1984 he was working on an expansion into Florida when he quit and gained control of a bankrupt French textile group called Agache-Willot, which in turn owned Christian Dior. He sacked almost everyone at the sclerotic conglomerate, sold assets and made lots of money keeping the Dior brand aside as the foundations of a luxury group he hoped would rival LMVH one day. However, in 1988, the boss of Louis Vuitton, Henri Recamier, called Arnault and asked him to invest in the LVMH group, which had been formed by merger with Moet Hennessy the year before. Recamier hoped to gain Arnault as an allied shareholder against the Moet Hennessy CEO with whom he was having a internal disagreement. However, after gaining a controlling stake and a place on the board Arnault turned against Recamier and had him ousted in a bitter, two year, board room battle eventually gaining control for himself. Such ruthlessness seems commonplace amongst the seriously ambitious; this particular incident reminds me of fellow Frenchman and renowned investment banker Andre Meyer (1898 - 1979).
An equally interesting tale, albeit less bloodthirsty, is that of fellow luxury giant Kering. The owner of brands like Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney started out as PPR, a mid-market department store operator and mail-order catalogue operator in France. It gained its entry into the market in rather unusual circumstances. Again, Arnault plays a prominent part. Gucci had been trading as a public company since 1995 when Arab-backed owners Investcorp floated it. In 1998 the share price fell precipitously owing to the Asian financial crisis and the affect this had on luxury goods sales. The CEO of Prada bought c.10% but then LVMH, led by Arnault, announced a 5% stake and the Gucci share price rocketed in anticipation of a bidding war. However, Prada sold to LMVH at the newly elevated price increasing LVMH stake to c.15%. Arnault, a voracious corporate shop-a-holic and seriously ambitious as we've seen, continued to buy up to c.35% and began asking for board seats in order to gain control. Gucci CEO, Dominic De Sole, was not happy about having his biggest competitor as the largest shareholder and so began “The Handbag Wars”. Gucci employed Morgan Stanley to dream up ways of diluting LMVH and eventually elected to sell PPR a 40% stake, diluting LVMH to c.20% stake with no control and no seats on the board; the two things Arnault coveted. Arnault sued Gucci over this 'white knight' arrangement but lost the case. PPR encouraged the management of Gucci to expand the group and CEO De Sole and chief designer Tom Ford bought several brands and encouraged big name designers to the group creating a luxury conglomerate to rival LVMH. It was not all bad news for Arnault either, he agreed to sell his 20% to PPR at a pre-determined minimum price at any time before 2004 just before The World Trade Center was destroyed by the attacks of 9/11, 2001. Gucci's share price fell 50% after the attacks.
FUN FACTS AND QUOTES
“Where the consumer goes, Wall St. follows”
Johann Rupert principle “price per kg of a product is highly correlated to the inherent profitability of that industry”
Year-on-Year sales in EVERY Jimmy Choo store in the US increased 30-40% in the week after 9/11. Shoe therapy?
July 8, 2017
Admittedly, I'm quite late to hearing about Jimmy Choos. I wanted to find out what was behind this coveted footwear brand and why I should be charmed by them as well. This book did nothing to inspire my enthusiasm. A story of cerebral corporate hand offs, the namesake of this company is sidelined rather early in the story and left to a woman who, though hard working and somehow magnetic in personality, is difficult to find affection for due to many high profile personality conflicts. So I think I'll shrug off the idea of Jimmy Choos and get excited about pretty shoes at much lower price and drama point.
Read
June 21, 2021Really compelling at the beginning but then a bit too business/figure heavy for me the last 2/3rds. I love reading about fashion business but it became stale for me and tricky to follow for the last chunk. DNF the last 1/3rd, but i would return to this book again for business insight in the future.
March 28, 2024
This is a great book if you want to learn about the business side of the fashion industry. It doesn't focus much on Jimmy Choo, the man himself, and as you read you will soon see why. It was very interesting and informative.
May 4, 2024
This book tells the story, the characters involved, the choices made to build a fashion empire. Lots of facts and figures. You probably have to be in corporate business to understand their relevance.
November 11, 2017
Not a page turner but worth reading if you want to understand the world of luxury brands and their ownership, mergers and management.
February 13, 2016
“I want a girl that can hook up a shoe--
Gucci sandal or them Jimmy Choos”
--Mario, “Girl I Need”
Women loved shoes long before Carrie Bradshaw began raving about her Jimmy Choos on “Sex and the City.” In fact, for years in London, Manolo Blahnik ruled the feet of society princesses. But, wanting more choices--more shoes--the women of London started looking around, and many began hearing of an alternative.
Word got out that a Malaysian shoe maker named Jimmy Choo was making custom shoes to order in an East Hackney basement. Word traveled to one very important “It Girl” in particular, and the rest is history, as they say. Tamara Yeardye, a society girl whose entrepreneurial father, Tom, had worked for Vidal Sassoon, learned about Jimmy Choo, and she had plenty of ideas about shoe styles she liked that she couldn‘t find anywhere else.
Tamara continued to push both her father (for financing) and Jimmy Choo (for production) to create a new line of ready-to-wear shoes that she knew the upscale market needed. The result: a new luxury brand that today brings in more than $350 million a year in sales worldwide (and growing, as it expands into handbags, sunglasses, and other areas).
The success story of Jimmy Choo shoes is compellingly told in “The Towering World of Jimmy Choo.” It’s a story of celebs and Red Carpet snafus, of society weddings and drug abuse, of financiers and fashion designers, of families and private equity firms. This is much more than a simple story of a successful product launch; it’s a full blown opera, with all the pieces still in play.
The saga of how Jimmy Choo came to be such a successful company today is a story of greed and ambition, of power and intrigue. Told jointly by a fashion journalist and equity analyst, the book covers all aspects of this spectacular company’s debut and its management’s internal roller coaster ride. Drawing on other resources in the luxury brand business world, not only is the company’s history well told, but the brand in put in perspective in the competitive world of high finance and sustained success. Whether you are interested in the world of high finance or high fashion, “The Towering World of Jimmy Choo” is a fascinating read
Merged review:
"I want a girl that can hook up a shoe--
Gucci sandal or them Jimmy Choos"
--Mario, "Girl I Need"
Women loved shoes long before Carrie Bradshaw began raving about her Jimmy Choos on "Sex and the City." In fact, for years in London, Manolo Blahnik ruled the feet of society princesses. But, wanting more choices--more shoes--the women of London started looking around, and many began hearing of an alternative.
Word got out that a Malaysian shoe maker named Jimmy Choo was making custom shoes to order in an East Hackney basement. Word traveled to one very important "It Girl" in particular, and the rest is history, as they say. Tamara Yeardye, a society girl whose entrepreneurial father, Tom, had worked for Vidal Sassoon, learned about Jimmy Choo, and she had plenty of ideas about shoe styles she liked that she couldn't find anywhere else.
Tamara continued to push both her father (for financing) and Jimmy Choo (for production) to create a new line of ready-to-wear shoes that she knew the upscale market needed. The result: a new luxury brand that today brings in more than $350 million a year in sales worldwide (and growing, as it expands into handbags, sunglasses, and other areas).
The success story of Jimmy Choo shoes is compellingly told in The Towering World of Jimmy Choo. It's a story of celebs and Red Carpet snafus, of society weddings and drug abuse, of financiers and fashion designers, of families and private equity firms. This is much more than a simple story of a successful product launch; it's a full blown opera, with all the pieces still in play.
The saga of how Jimmy Choo came to be such a successful company today is a story of greed and ambition, of power and intrigue. Told jointly by a fashion journalist and equity analyst, the book covers all aspects of this spectacular company's debut and its management's internal roller coaster ride. Drawing on other resources in the luxury brand business world, not only is the company's history well told, but the brand in put in perspective in the competitive world of high finance and sustained success. Whether you are interested in the world of high finance or high fashion, The Towering World of Jimmy Choo is a fascinating read.
Gucci sandal or them Jimmy Choos”
--Mario, “Girl I Need”
Women loved shoes long before Carrie Bradshaw began raving about her Jimmy Choos on “Sex and the City.” In fact, for years in London, Manolo Blahnik ruled the feet of society princesses. But, wanting more choices--more shoes--the women of London started looking around, and many began hearing of an alternative.
Word got out that a Malaysian shoe maker named Jimmy Choo was making custom shoes to order in an East Hackney basement. Word traveled to one very important “It Girl” in particular, and the rest is history, as they say. Tamara Yeardye, a society girl whose entrepreneurial father, Tom, had worked for Vidal Sassoon, learned about Jimmy Choo, and she had plenty of ideas about shoe styles she liked that she couldn‘t find anywhere else.
Tamara continued to push both her father (for financing) and Jimmy Choo (for production) to create a new line of ready-to-wear shoes that she knew the upscale market needed. The result: a new luxury brand that today brings in more than $350 million a year in sales worldwide (and growing, as it expands into handbags, sunglasses, and other areas).
The success story of Jimmy Choo shoes is compellingly told in “The Towering World of Jimmy Choo.” It’s a story of celebs and Red Carpet snafus, of society weddings and drug abuse, of financiers and fashion designers, of families and private equity firms. This is much more than a simple story of a successful product launch; it’s a full blown opera, with all the pieces still in play.
The saga of how Jimmy Choo came to be such a successful company today is a story of greed and ambition, of power and intrigue. Told jointly by a fashion journalist and equity analyst, the book covers all aspects of this spectacular company’s debut and its management’s internal roller coaster ride. Drawing on other resources in the luxury brand business world, not only is the company’s history well told, but the brand in put in perspective in the competitive world of high finance and sustained success. Whether you are interested in the world of high finance or high fashion, “The Towering World of Jimmy Choo” is a fascinating read
Merged review:
"I want a girl that can hook up a shoe--
Gucci sandal or them Jimmy Choos"
--Mario, "Girl I Need"
Women loved shoes long before Carrie Bradshaw began raving about her Jimmy Choos on "Sex and the City." In fact, for years in London, Manolo Blahnik ruled the feet of society princesses. But, wanting more choices--more shoes--the women of London started looking around, and many began hearing of an alternative.
Word got out that a Malaysian shoe maker named Jimmy Choo was making custom shoes to order in an East Hackney basement. Word traveled to one very important "It Girl" in particular, and the rest is history, as they say. Tamara Yeardye, a society girl whose entrepreneurial father, Tom, had worked for Vidal Sassoon, learned about Jimmy Choo, and she had plenty of ideas about shoe styles she liked that she couldn't find anywhere else.
Tamara continued to push both her father (for financing) and Jimmy Choo (for production) to create a new line of ready-to-wear shoes that she knew the upscale market needed. The result: a new luxury brand that today brings in more than $350 million a year in sales worldwide (and growing, as it expands into handbags, sunglasses, and other areas).
The success story of Jimmy Choo shoes is compellingly told in The Towering World of Jimmy Choo. It's a story of celebs and Red Carpet snafus, of society weddings and drug abuse, of financiers and fashion designers, of families and private equity firms. This is much more than a simple story of a successful product launch; it's a full blown opera, with all the pieces still in play.
The saga of how Jimmy Choo came to be such a successful company today is a story of greed and ambition, of power and intrigue. Told jointly by a fashion journalist and equity analyst, the book covers all aspects of this spectacular company's debut and its management's internal roller coaster ride. Drawing on other resources in the luxury brand business world, not only is the company's history well told, but the brand in put in perspective in the competitive world of high finance and sustained success. Whether you are interested in the world of high finance or high fashion, The Towering World of Jimmy Choo is a fascinating read.
October 7, 2014
Thank god it's over.I would never call myself a fashionista and to say I follow fashion trends or news would be an outright lie. But I do always enjoy the Style Issue of The New Yorke particularly because Patricia Marx, one of my favorite writers for the magazine, almost always has an article in this issue.
When I stumbled upon an advanced reader's copy of The Towering World of Jimmy Choo: A Glamorous Story of Power, Profits, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Shoe by Lauren Goldstein Crowe and Sagra Maceira de Rosen I was hoping for something similar to the New Yorker style issue articles, just book length. I suspect I should have been known better after reading the subtitle.
What could have been a sharp and informative look into this now famous brand (apparently thanks to "Sex and the City"), the book quickly turns to the flippant and often bafflingly tangential. The interesting thing about Jimmy Choo, the brand, is that it started with two people: Jimmy Choo, the man, and Tamara Mellon (nee Yeardye). The book opens with brief biographical chapters for both. And the history of Tom Yeardye, Tamara's father and the brand's first backer.
Then, because Jimmy Choo is briefly alligned with Vidal Sassoon salons, readers get a history of how Vidal Sassoon because a big shot hair care/salon professional. I did not know that Vidal Sasson was a real person, so this tangent was interesting. Nonetheless, it was too long to remain relevant to the story of Jimmy Choo and too short to be the full story of Vidal Sassoon. This problem was repeated several times throughout the book--whenever a new personality was introduced, actually.
The writing in The Towering World of Jimmy Choo was also sub-par. The parts of the book detailing the business aspect of the Jimmy Choo brand were too long-winded and technical. Lacking any background in the business world all of the technicalities that the authors were at pains to address were lost on me being explained in business terminology I was ill-equipped to understand.
On the other hand, the rest of the book felt like it belonged in a tabloid expose on Jimmy Choo with everyone being referred to by first names and business dealings receiving as much space in the book as personal tidbits about Tamara's lavish wedding. Combining those two aspects (business and social) into one book was a novel idea, but it didn't work here since neither facet was written well.
This book would probably be enjoyable for a true fashionista who is interested enough in Jimmy Choos (the actual man receives almost no space in the story) to overlook the poor writing. However, anyone looking for a quick glance at the world of high fashion from a generic perspective would probably be better served by the aforementioned style issues of The New Yorker.
When I stumbled upon an advanced reader's copy of The Towering World of Jimmy Choo: A Glamorous Story of Power, Profits, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Shoe by Lauren Goldstein Crowe and Sagra Maceira de Rosen I was hoping for something similar to the New Yorker style issue articles, just book length. I suspect I should have been known better after reading the subtitle.
What could have been a sharp and informative look into this now famous brand (apparently thanks to "Sex and the City"), the book quickly turns to the flippant and often bafflingly tangential. The interesting thing about Jimmy Choo, the brand, is that it started with two people: Jimmy Choo, the man, and Tamara Mellon (nee Yeardye). The book opens with brief biographical chapters for both. And the history of Tom Yeardye, Tamara's father and the brand's first backer.
Then, because Jimmy Choo is briefly alligned with Vidal Sassoon salons, readers get a history of how Vidal Sassoon because a big shot hair care/salon professional. I did not know that Vidal Sasson was a real person, so this tangent was interesting. Nonetheless, it was too long to remain relevant to the story of Jimmy Choo and too short to be the full story of Vidal Sassoon. This problem was repeated several times throughout the book--whenever a new personality was introduced, actually.
The writing in The Towering World of Jimmy Choo was also sub-par. The parts of the book detailing the business aspect of the Jimmy Choo brand were too long-winded and technical. Lacking any background in the business world all of the technicalities that the authors were at pains to address were lost on me being explained in business terminology I was ill-equipped to understand.
On the other hand, the rest of the book felt like it belonged in a tabloid expose on Jimmy Choo with everyone being referred to by first names and business dealings receiving as much space in the book as personal tidbits about Tamara's lavish wedding. Combining those two aspects (business and social) into one book was a novel idea, but it didn't work here since neither facet was written well.
This book would probably be enjoyable for a true fashionista who is interested enough in Jimmy Choos (the actual man receives almost no space in the story) to overlook the poor writing. However, anyone looking for a quick glance at the world of high fashion from a generic perspective would probably be better served by the aforementioned style issues of The New Yorker.
March 1, 2009
The Towering World of Jimmy Choo is the behind the scenes story of the world famous shoe brand. Jimmy Choo was a young shoemaker who crafted made-to-order shoes for a few select wealthy clients in London when he caught the eye of Tamara Yeardye. Tamara began using Jimmy's shoes in Vogue layouts and later convinced her wealthy father to join with Choo to invest in a mass produced luxury shoe line.
Tension between Tamara and Jimmy quickly came to a head when it became clear that they both had different visions for the company. Soon Choo was only involved in the couture line of custom shoes while the mass produced designs were all created by Tamara and Choo's niece Sandra Choi.
Now twelve years later Choo is no longer a part of the company bearing his name and the shoe that made its start in a small cramped space is one of the most successful luxury brands in the world, worth over $350 million.
I have to admit that when I first noticed this book I thought it was chic-lit fiction not the real story behind the legendary brand but I am so glad I picked it up. It was a fascinating look behind the scenes.
I'm not at all knowledgeable about the world of fashion but enjoyed reading this story because of the peek into that lifestyle. Not only does the book cover the company, it covers the financial decision making and the changes the company has gone through in just a few short years. It's amazing to me that all this could be built from the Jimmy Choo name while having almost nothing to do with the real Jimmy Choo. I recommend this book for not only fashion lovers but to anyone who enjoys a good non-fiction read.
Tension between Tamara and Jimmy quickly came to a head when it became clear that they both had different visions for the company. Soon Choo was only involved in the couture line of custom shoes while the mass produced designs were all created by Tamara and Choo's niece Sandra Choi.
Now twelve years later Choo is no longer a part of the company bearing his name and the shoe that made its start in a small cramped space is one of the most successful luxury brands in the world, worth over $350 million.
I have to admit that when I first noticed this book I thought it was chic-lit fiction not the real story behind the legendary brand but I am so glad I picked it up. It was a fascinating look behind the scenes.
I'm not at all knowledgeable about the world of fashion but enjoyed reading this story because of the peek into that lifestyle. Not only does the book cover the company, it covers the financial decision making and the changes the company has gone through in just a few short years. It's amazing to me that all this could be built from the Jimmy Choo name while having almost nothing to do with the real Jimmy Choo. I recommend this book for not only fashion lovers but to anyone who enjoys a good non-fiction read.
August 14, 2011
I read this book from start to finish in one sitting. Which is a shocker for me. I was enthralled. It was like reading a specialized tale from Dana Thomas' book, "Deluxe: How Luxury Lost it's Luster" - except it was how a luxury brand was built from the ground up within 20 years rather than how it's gone to massed produced China made crap (sans Hermes, of course). Like "Deluxe", Crowe and de Rosen switch from intense detail about the fashion industry conglomerates to wonderfully written details about the growth and development of the brand in question. The staggering success from a 50 / 50 family business and craftsman's dream to a multi billion corporation creates a great read. Don't read this book if you're looking for a light hearted book about how shoes are made. Go look at "How It's Made" or pick up Tamera's book, "4 inches" for that. This book is about business, conglomerates, celebrity placements, family drama and equity firm buy outs.
In an after note -What I found rather shockingly unfortunate was the cautionary tale of the story: How a misunderstanding of share division and cash ruined a mother / daughter relationship.
In an after note -What I found rather shockingly unfortunate was the cautionary tale of the story: How a misunderstanding of share division and cash ruined a mother / daughter relationship.
September 24, 2009
Crowe and and co-author De Rosen have written the ideal book for the modern businesswoman - but not the modern fashionista. Unless that fashionista happens to be Jimmy Choo's Tamara Mellon herself....
The Towering World spends the first third or so of its pages in delineating the history of Jimmy Choo, the man and shoemaker extraordinaire and the beginnings of the iconic brand. But the rest of the book is a whirling explanation of high finance and its role in bankrolling the major labels of high fashion - not the glamorous Cinderella story so many Carrie Bradshaw fans might like, but rather the love child of Vogue and the Economist.
Still, it's fascinating and educational - and inspires one to start checking out the luxury shopping sites for deals on Jimmy Choo stilettos. After all, it is really all about the shoes, n'est-ce pas?
The Towering World spends the first third or so of its pages in delineating the history of Jimmy Choo, the man and shoemaker extraordinaire and the beginnings of the iconic brand. But the rest of the book is a whirling explanation of high finance and its role in bankrolling the major labels of high fashion - not the glamorous Cinderella story so many Carrie Bradshaw fans might like, but rather the love child of Vogue and the Economist.
Still, it's fascinating and educational - and inspires one to start checking out the luxury shopping sites for deals on Jimmy Choo stilettos. After all, it is really all about the shoes, n'est-ce pas?
March 23, 2009
This book was an interesting read about business and (more importantly) shoes. I am not a business person, but this book was obviously written to appeal to lay-readers like me so the business elements were well-explained and, I suspect, fairly rudimentary. I picked up the book because it was about Jimmy Choo shoes, and it did deliver an interesting look at the early development of the brand. Unfortunately, the writing got repetitive and rather gossipy; I was much less interested in the details of Tamara's divorce that in the details of Jimmy's ouster from the company, but the book is much more about Tamara and her life than about Jimmy Choo and his. All in all, an enjoyable read despite the lack of substance.
March 26, 2009
The Towering World of Jimmy Choo is an extensive look into the beginnings of Jimmy Choo fashion brand and where it is today. The read is definitely more of business oriented, there is a lot to learn here. It read's easily though, because there is unavoidable drama surrounding the president, Tamara Mellon, and it keeps parts of this non-fiction account intriguing.
I recommend to anyone interested in the background on fashion companies, how they came to be, inner workings and deals, and associated turmoil.
I docked a star for the shoe drawn cover. I was a bit embarrassed, it looks like a chick lit book.
I recommend to anyone interested in the background on fashion companies, how they came to be, inner workings and deals, and associated turmoil.
I docked a star for the shoe drawn cover. I was a bit embarrassed, it looks like a chick lit book.
September 29, 2013
As someone who loves shoes, a good success story and little bit of scandal, I enjoyed this book. The authors turn what could be complex financial jargon into clear, conceptual text that shoe lovers will not be challenged to understand, while including enough of the key figures (in both USD & GBP) to keep financial minds engaged. Of course the generous litter of big names that pepper the text make the story just that much more engaging. It's not that far off from being a Sidney Sheldon novel, frankly - and that's not a bad thing.
March 19, 2012
A fascinating look into the international fashion world, specifically women's shoes. A wealthy British business family partners with Malaysian emigre Jimmy Choo, who is not totally comfortable with mass producing as opposed to hand/artisan shoe making. Drama, scandal, ambition and a look inside how the nouveau riche do business.
If you love shoes, you'll enjoy this book.
October 14, 2015
Good premise, sad about the execution. The first part was entertaiing and I abandoned it half way through as I felt like lip-service was only being paid to Choo and it was more about board politics and female ambition (no that there is anything wrong with this! just not what I was expecting or wanted to read really).
March 11, 2015
I couldn't finish this book. I was so shocked about what really happened to Jimmy Choo and his brand! Tamara's business approach annoyed me and made me want to not support her, the brand or the book. Maybe a little dramatic but edging Jimmy out the door seemed horribly wrong to me. Think I will stick to the brands who are still designed by the name that is plastered on them.
June 30, 2009
This book was mostly about Tamara Mellon, a London society girl that took Jimmy Choo to the celebrities and a super successful luxury brand. Overall the book is overly jam packed with luxury goods history that can be hard to digest.
Read
August 7, 2011An interesting insight into the world of luxury brands, via the Jimmy Choo/Tamara Mellon story. Some biography, some gossip, and a fair amount of business wheelings and dealings. The Observer said 'half fashion magazine, half business manual', and it has a point.
September 19, 2011
A great history on the world of luxury goods focused mainly on Jimmy Choo and Tamara Mellon. More on how the company came to their current (as of 2009) standings, dealing with the inside turmoils and transactions.
June 26, 2012
The book is quite enjoyable despite the so-called business thingy, like how the stocks were bought and everything, which were pretty much confusing to me. It was fun and aspiring. I quite loved it. But I certainly hoped that the contents were more of the brand itself, despite everything else.
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