Tamara Mellon's New Brand Is Ready for Launch

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cashed in her stake in Jimmy Choo for an estimated £85 million in 2011.

But now, more than two years later, Mellon is readying for the launch of her latest company · the Tamara Mellon brand. She allowed a Vogue reporter to take a peek at what Mellon and her backers have been working on. The story is not online, but it is in the August issue of the magazine.

Mellon built Jimmy Choo from a bespoke shoe business run by a man named Jimmy Choo to a global brand that was valued at more than $800 million when it was sold to Labelux in 2011. The question on everyone's mind is, can she do it again with her own brand?

Though prices aren't mentioned in the article, Mellon says her new namesake label will be "affordable luxury." She owns a majority stake in the business. The stores will have a lot of tutrnover, will small deliveries of new items every two weeks:

"It's limited, so people can come in and if they miss it there is something else two weeks later." I say: But Zara does that. Mellon says, "Not at this level." She adds, "I'm also going to sell women clothes in the right season. I am going to sell coats in September and bikinis in June." I say: Tamara! Nobody can do that!, and she says, "I'm doing that."

A handful of pictures of the new line published on Vogue's Web site reveals clothes, bags, and shoes, including a sexy pair of strappy red sandals, and a heavy reliance on leopard print throughout. And one quite lovely white suit.

Vogue observed Mellon in a phone design meeting with her shoe designer, who is based in Paris, about a "legging boot." This is described by Mellon as "like a thigh boot that pulls right up into a legging. You can wear a sweater over it or a big man's shirt and there's no gap."

The only question is, are the women of America ready for legging boots?

— Jenna Sauers

· Going Solo [Vogue]
· Tamara Mellon Is Leaving Jimmy Choo. So What Will She Do Next? [Racked]
· Ex-Jimmy Choo Owner Prepares To Launch Own Label [Racked]
· All Tamara Mellon News [Racked]