Jimmy Choo Lawsuit: Tamara Mellon's Shocking Claims Against Shoe Powerhouse
Dirty dealings of the factories that she claims bankrupted her business, exposed.
Sept. 13 2016, Published 12:17 a.m. ET
Tamara Mellon is waging war against Jimmy Choo in court, claiming that her former employers sabotaged her new line. Now, RadarOnline.com has exclusive details about the $4million dollar lawsuit full of international intrigue!
Mellon was at famed shoe atelier Jimmy Choo for 16 years and she "built the company into a powerhouse," according to an insider. Indeed, the lawsuit she filed detailed how she launched the venerable line into a billion-dollar business.
"The Jimmy Choo brand became an innovator in Hollywood, being the first accessory brand to offer customized shoes to award nominees and presenters for red carpet appearances," the court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com state.
READ THE BOMBSHELL COURT DOCUMENTS HERE
"The brand's 'red carpet' presence helped create a global following and make it a favored brand among celebrities, supermodels and royalty. Throughout its history, Jimmy Choo has been identified by the media as a key element of the fashion zeitgeist, with prominence in such American films and television as Sex and the City, The Devil Wears Prada, Legally Blonde, The Sopranos, and Will & Grace."
However, after the company was taken over and Mellon left, she abided by a one-year non-compete clause before launching her own line, Tamara Mellon Brand. But according to Mellon, Jimmy Choo began to sabotage her efforts. She claims that the "factories" where she wanted to produce her own high-end luxury shoes, ones that had long-standing relationships with Jimmy Choo, would not do business with her.
The court documents explained the alleged retaliation.
“Leveraging Jimmy Choo’s market power, Defendants threatened the factory owners with the loss of Jimmy Choo’s business if they worked with Tamara Mellon or anyone affiliated with her,” the court documents claim.
“Ultimately, the boycott resulted in Ms. Mellon’s new company having to file for Chapter 11 reorganization, in turn resulting in Ms. Mellon losing millions of her personal investment and her compensation from the new company," the documents allege.
Mellon's lawsuit claims that the factories that create the shoes worked with many other competitors of Jimmy Choo, just not Mellon.
"Plaintiff is informed and believes and thereon alleges that the Targeted Factories manufactured products not only for Jimmy Choo but also for most of Jimmy Choo's competitors including Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Dolce and Gabbana, Christian Louboutin, Aquazzura, Balenciaga, Prada, Ralph Lauren and Valentino," the documents state. "Despite this, Plaintiff is further informed and believes and thereon alleges that at no time did Defendants threaten the Targeted Factories with a boycott for working with any designer other than Ms. Mellon (or any business or associate with whom she was affiliated). Plaintiff is informed and believes and thereon alleges that this was solely because of the Defendants' personal animus towards Ms. Mellon and not based on any competitive concerns."
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Despite the initial setback, the source told RadarOnline.com that Mellon is "going to relaunch in October, based in Los Angeles. Tamara has always been forward-thinking."
Mellon is asking the court for $4million for the amount of money she personally invested in her failed line.
Story developing.
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