March 1, 2009

Review: The Towering World of Jimmy Choo by Lauren Goldstein Crowe and Sagra Maceira de Rosen



The Towering World of Jimmy Choo is the behind the scenes story of the world famous shoe brand. Jimmy Choo was a young shoemaker who crafted made-to-order shoes for a few select wealthy clients in London when he caught the eye of Tamara Yeardye. Tamara began using Jimmy’s shoes in Vogue layouts and later convinced her wealthy father to join with Choo to invest in a mass produced luxury shoe line.

Tension between Tamara and Jimmy quickly came to a head when it became clear that they both had different visions for the company. Soon Choo was only involved in the couture line of custom shoes while the mass produced designs were all created by Tamara and Choo’s niece Sandra Choi.

Now twelve years later Choo is no longer a part of the company bearing his name and the shoe that made its start in a small cramped space is one of the most successful luxury brands in the world, worth over $350 million.

I have to admit that when I first noticed this book I thought it was chic-lit fiction not the real story behind the legendary brand but I am so glad I picked it up. It was a fascinating look behind the scenes.

I’m not at all knowledgeable about the world of fashion but enjoyed reading this story because of the peek into that lifestyle. Not only does the book cover the company, it covers the financial decision making and the changes the company has gone through in just a few short years. It’s amazing to me that all this could be built from the Jimmy Choo name while having almost nothing to do with the real Jimmy Choo. I recommend this book for not only fashion lovers but to anyone who enjoys a good non-fiction read.

3 comments :

bermudaonion said...

I can't wait to read this one - I'm glad you liked it!

Andrea said...

This book sounds great!

And I've given you a blog award so head on over to my blog to get it!

Ladytink_534 said...

I want to read this one! It sounds so neat!