As one of the most renowned names in accessory design, there's barely a corner of the earth ignorant to the allure of Jimmy Choo.
And this year, as the firm celebrates 15 years at the top of its game, the firm is set to publish a glossy coffee table book charting the journey to success.
Jimmy Choo XV, released to coincide with the firm's anniversary, goes back to the brand's roots to tell the story of Jimmy Choo's propulsion from the workshop of a niche cobbler to world domination, taking in all glitz and glamour on the way.
'Once upon a time there was a shoemaker working in the East End of London,' goes the foreword, penned by Colin McDowell.
'In the West End of London was a beautiful and clever young woman who specializes in accessories - and especially shoes - in her work for a very famous and glamorous magazine.
The shoemaker was Jimmy Choo; the beautiful and clever young woman is Tamara Mellon; the magazine, British Vogue. The rest is, as they say, history.'
Jimmy Choo CEO Tamara Mellon OBE writes colorfully in the preface of her love for the brand she nurtured after purchasing the business from talented cobbler Choo.
'My ambition for Jimmy Choo when I created this company was always to capture the hearts of women around the world and build it into an enduring world-class luxury brand that would inspire women everywhere,' she says.
When I think of the icons that have inspired me throughout my life, they are often women. Powerful, glamorous, confident women,' she says.
'Cinematic and music icons such as Catherine Deneuve, Anouk Aimée, and Debbie Harry are among the many muses I have in my imagination when I am creating my collections for Jimmy Choo.
'These iconic beauties hold an allure that is as much about their external style as their innate sense of self-confidence.
'I look to modern icons as well, and in business, I think of iconic women such as Michelle Obama, Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, and Natalie Massenet, whose ingenuity, cleverness, and sense of humor set them apart as role models for me and for my daughter’s generation.
The icons that I set out to highlight in this book take their cue from the women that inspire me in my life, but they are the shoes themselves.
'Around the office, we refer to the shoe styles as ‘She,’ endowing them with a personality, life, and a story all their own. "Glenys" is attending an art opening before she hops the Eurostar back to London. "Macy" is headed into hair and makeup before she hits the step and repeat.
'"Fleur" has a board meeting this morning followed by lunch with her banker. Amongst the thousands of shoes that have been created, each has her own story. When they are launched into the world, the women that wear the shoes add their own stories.
