Tamara Mellon

Stiletto queen Tamara Mellon, co-founder of the Jimmy Choo shoe logo, advises: “Every lady must have an excellent open-toed platform shoe in a light gold fabric, a chic wedge for any on-grass tournament, and an ideal flat shoe in a neutral colour for each day." Mellon, a former accessories editor at Vogue, set up the company with Hackney cobbler Jimmy Choo in 1996, with a £150,000 loan from her late father, Tommy Yeardye, co-founder of the Vidal Sassoon hair products empire. But she says: “When my father died I inherited absolutely nothing. All I have is the money I made." Mellon, 43, saved her married identify after divorcing New York banking and oil inheritor Matthew Mellon, with whom she has a daughter, Araminta. With earnings greater than trebling to £15.3m on £82m gross sales in 2009, Jimmy Choo, which is exploring a float, may well be worth £650m, however we cautiously persist with £500m. It may be increasing into jewelry, perfume, handbags and homewear. When Lion Capital bought its £180m stake in the industry in 2007, Mellon netted £25m. She keeps a 17% preserving worth £85m and remains the glamorous face of Jimmy Choo, whose footwear retail at up to £1,000 a pair. Past proceeds and London assets take her to £150m.

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