Tamara Mellon Leaves Jimmy Choo
If you’ve ever put your foot into a Jimmy Choo and felt like a goddess, you have two people to thank.
One is Jimmy Choo himself, the London artisan, and the other is Tamara Mellon, the woman who persuaded him to launch a shoe business with her and built it into the Jimmy Choo empire.
However, Tamara is now leaving Choo entirely – apparently due to Choo’s new owners.
The company was bought by a luxury group for (get this) $500 million earlier this year – not bad for an initial investment of $150,000.
Now Mellon and the original CEO are departing, presumably for better things, and to give the label a clean start without their shadows over it.
However, Tamara’s biggest legacy? The idea of the female entrepreneur in modern fashion and accessories. They existed before her – Coco Chanel, for one – but she’s one of the hugest success stories of the past half-century.
So if you feel like starting a little fashion venture of your own, seek out some of Mellon’s business advice.
Rescu. is looking forward to seeing what she does next…
Image: Tamara Mellon.
Report: Marc Jacobs Won’t Be Dior’s New Designer
And here we thought the whole sorry story was almost over.
The embattled Dior house, which hasn’t had a head designer since John Galliano was fired in a cloud of scandal, desperately needs a replacement. It has held one couture show since Galliano left, and it was universally panned.
Then, however, there was a saviour – Marc Jacobs, currently at Louis Vuitton.
Jacobs was reportedly enthusiastic, the owners of both Dior and Vuitton (luxury conglomerate LVMH) were approving, and the fashion world breathed a sigh of relief.
Now, however, whispers are emerging that the talks have broken down. Reportedly the problem is Jacobs’ money demands. He wants an eight figure salary. Yes, eight.
LVMH baulked, and so it’s back to the drawing board. Ricardo Tisci is still up for the position, as are Alexander Wang and Jason Wu. (Any female designers up for the position? Rescu. would just like to know. Though we suppose Sarah Burton is pretty busy at McQueen.)
As for Galliano, he’s been quietly in rehab, emerging only to design Kate Moss’s wedding dress and attend the star-studded wedding (where, reportedly, he drank only water).
Do you have any names you’d like to see under Dior’s masthead?
Image: Dior Couture.
The New Heels For Summer: Safari
Apparently it’s time to let the fur fly on your feet.
The big trend at the moment in footwear? Leopard print – paired with a sultry red manicure. However, it’s not something to let spill over into your clothing. Too much animal print and you’ll start looking cheap – or, worse, too wealthy to have any taste.
Luckily, RESCU’s got your solution, whether you’re strapped for cash or looking to splurge.
If you’d rather something cheap and chic, go for Tony Bianco, who’s got a fabulous peep-toe in leather with a proper leopard-print.
Looking for a little more pizzaz? Charlotte Olympia’s the newest name on the footwear block, and she’s already clad the feet of most Vogue editors. Her Ninivah shoe is an investment, but it certainly packs a punch.
And then, of course, there is Louboutin – the trusty red sole of every fashionista who can afford them. These are not shoes to be used lightly or purchased carelessly, but they’re one hell of a Christmas present.
Are you on board the leopard-print shoe trend?
Image: Charlotte Olympia’s Ninivah.
Christopher Kane: ‘Kate Middleton Should Wear More Top Designers’
Kate Middleton remains a design favourite- and a hot topic.
There are some who love her plain, off-the-rack, simple style – she’s made a few Best Dressed lists this year – and it’s certainly not going to upset anybody in a recession.
However, some people are wishing that she’d show a bit more flair.
One, British designer Christopher Kane – famous for his micro-minis – has come out in support of Middleton expanding her style horizons to be a bit more experimental.
Saying that ‘if he were a princess’ he’d go all out, Kane criticised the princess for not taking full advantage of her position and making an example of more expressive British design.
Middleton (now, of course, Duchess of Cambridge) will shortly be moving to Scotland with William, where perhaps there will be less call for Kane micro-minis and other British staples – though Rescu. imagines she’ll be rugging up in a lot of Burberry. It seems Kate’s favourite designer, Jenny Packham, is safe for the moment.
Her sister Pippa, however, may be the recipient of the attention her sister has chosen not to indulge, sitting front row at Alice Temperley at the recent London Fashion Week. Temperley is one of British fashion’s most romantic designers.
However, Rescu. can’t see either designer in Vivienne Westwood’s more punk stuff any time soon. Leave it to Helena Bonham-Carter, ladies.
Image: Christopher Kane.