Real People Behind Big Names

Meet Tamara Mellon (right), the face behind the Jimmy Choo shoe empire. It was Tamara's love for a high heel that inspired her to launch the elegant and pricey line of shoes, worn by legions of loyal celebrity clients. While working as the accessories editor for British Vogue, Tamara discovered a Malaysian cobbler named Jimmy Choo (left), who created one-of-a-kind shoes for his customers. At first, Tamara would commission Jimmy to create shoes for special projects. Then she came up with a bigger plan to create a line of shoes made with Jimmy Choo's artistry that would be available to everyone.