Tamara MellonIn My Shoes: A Memoir

While I read about 3-6 books a week, both for work (in publishing) and pleasure, most of the books I read are history/biography/memoirs that are about people who have made substantial contributions to the world. I have a weak place in my heart for women like Slim Keith, C..Z Guest, Babe Paley, Mona Von Bismark, Wallis Simpson all the way down to Athenais De Montespan, Madame Du Barry and Eleanor of Aquitaine. So, this book seemed like it would be entertaining, and a fun read. I was NOT looking for any self-help or career advice in it. I don't know why anyone would.Having said that I must also say that I have almost NEVER written a review (good or bad) about a book I have read (either for work or for my own enjoyment)Now:Tamara Mellon and her "co-author" can't write well. Nor can they pull off making Tamara seem anything other than a horrid individual, albeit one who helped bring great shoes to the forefront of the world's attention. Unlike Andie Sachs in A Devil Wears Prada I give credit to the men and women who work in the fashion industry, and recognize it as an important business.I have met and worked with many strong, independent women who have struggled (in many cases during harder times than the 1990s when women had it difficult for many reasons), and usually these women are...eccentric, and can be downright rude, brusque or even mean. However, Tamara not only comes off as all of those, but she's one other thing...whiny. She comes off like a wounded bird who has built up anger for so, so, so many people (whose names she loves to drop) that she "wrote" this book possibly on the advice of her therapist for some sort of catharsis. I've worked with household names who may have made me go home and rant for an hour about how horrible they were, but at least they didn't whine about EVERYTHING in their ENTIRE life and then go on to be mean.I almost never put down a book (especially a slim volume) before I've finished, and I almost made it through this piece of rubbish before it had to go into a chest that will probably never see the light of day again. It's not even a fun gossipy trashy book, but more the rantings of a woman who is probably one of the most unpleasant women you would run across.I have no doubt that she should be proud of what she's accomplished, but I think the story would be much better if it were written as a graceful approach at those she seems wronged by (nearly everyone on earth). Instead of spewing venom, and poorly spewed at best.Please DO NOT read this if you are looking for business advice. You won't find much here.Please DO NOT buy this if you are looking for gossip trashy name dropping, because there are SO many other books you can get that are more substantial and more fun than this. This just makes you angry.Please DO NOT buy this if you are a fan of Jimmy Choo shoes, Tamara isn't a fan of Jimmy or his (or her) shoes.

An unbelievable read that I was totally unprepared for. I tried to associate the catalogue of dramas unfolding with the images I had seen of Tamara Mellon over the years in the press, seemingly happy and carefree. The assumptions that I had made about her and her success have been completely blown out of the water.Right from the beginning pages I was thrown by the sheer honesty of the writing and her willingness to tell it like it was, a lost and broken soul from an early age, albeit from what appeared to be a privileged background. But she makes so clear, privilege and material comforts cannot prevent human suffering or be a substitute for a happy home life.All this even before Tamara's big idea! Surely I thought, building Jimmy Choo from nothing to a global giant, would somehow be a more straightforward story of hard work and reward, but not a bit of it. The plot thickened, as a relentless stream of obstacles to overcome headed her way, or maybe she was just wired to home in on them!! Her relationship with her mother, her new partner Jimmy another kind of pain and disappointment. But there was more to come in the shape of her controlling and abusive CEO, not to mention a series of "vulture" private equity partners.Phew! You just couldn't make it up. The contrast between the polished perception of Tamara Mellon and the real inside story, in her shoes, is simply staggering. After what seemed like being at war for most of her life, I was left uplifted and inspired, for what ultimately is a tale of triumph for the human spirit, from which we can all take hope. Well done Tamara - what a ride for this reader. Can't wait for the movie! WOW!!!

Tamara was between companies in 2012 and "the idea of writing a memoir had been growing on" her. So, with the help of a professional writer and prodded by an anxious publisher, off she went exploring, exposing, exulting, exhibiting and being so connected. Throughout the book runs a theme and the reverberations of self-help groups, psychiatrists, addiction treatment, cocaine - "mountains of it" - alcohol, AA in all its manifestations, lawyers and scoundrels. Yes, there is the very, very manipulative and alcoholic mother. She NEVER liked Tamara and tried to screw her over in a long legal battle. The father on the other hand is tall, Irish, handsome and very helpful - he is dead by that time. We hear all about Tamara's childhood. Growing up in America as child of the Vidal Sassoon man and an alcoholic mother, then Britain, and Switzerland. What joy and adventures and we hear all about her friends in high places - well, that is one of the reasons we bought this book, isn't it? Tamara struggles at Vogue, then discovers Jimmy Choo, the shoemaker and - with a cash infusion by her father and his managerial know-how - starts the famous shoe company. Only, of course, things do not go swimmingly - Tamara is ALWAYS misunderstood, ALWAYS taken advantage of, ALWAYS the pushover. It is getting tedious to hear her muttering to herself and promising to do better and then - NOTHING. Now why did she have misgivings and still sign and then expect changes?! Really, Tamara! Oh, there is a short-lived marriage to Matthew Mellon whom Tamara met at an AA meeting. Their daughter Minty is now the center of her life - or so Tamara says.

As a huge fashion fan I was really looking forward to this book. I visited the first Jimmy Choo store in London in 1999 and a few more over the years, and have read countless articles about the seemingly glossy and almost perfect lifestyle of Tamara Mellon. This book was such a revelation as it completely lifted the cover on all that gloss and told the real story. Money can't buy you a happy childhood, and the one that Tamara experienced I wouldn't swap mine in working class Liverpool for anything. The continuing theme in the book is her love and respect for her father, who helped her start the Jimmy Choo label as we know it today. This is not a story just out of Hello magazine, it contains all the boardroom backstabbing in great detail. I learned a lot about Tamara - that nothing stops her from working, that her daughter is her priority, and that even though she did start with the financial backing of her father she turned that £150,000 investment into a £100 million dollar company. Not bad for a girl who didn't pass her 'O' levels! Not once are we asked to show sympathy or empathise, this lady is hard on herself, too. I couldn't put this book down and I hope the the Tamara Mellon brand will go on to achieve great things. My only wish? That there had been more photos. But apart from that, it's a fabulous read!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I admired her vision, determination and belief in herself that she could make a success of Jimmy Choo even if he never appreciated any aspect of how she made him and his shoes famous and successful. I felt she was totally realistic about her relationship with her mother. Even though every little girl wants her mother's love and attention, she was young when she realised her mother didn't care or like her. She was lucky she had a good dad. I also liked how despite her divorce from her husband, she put her daughter's relationship with her father first. She certainly told the full story on what happened in the Board Room and I admire her courage to tell the truth. Irish genes are indomitable. So impressed that her father was Rock Hudson's stand in. I would like to know about him and also did her brothers inherit the good looks of either mum or dad?. I wish she would trace her Irish roots to see where the determination came from. Wish her success with her new fashion line. Will want to buy it.

If you go past the terrible mess Penguin did at printing (big gaps in page numbers in several sections of the book, hence my 3 stars) and past the nonstop names dropping (probably part and parcel of a book about turn of the century fashion world) and you keep in mind you are not reading this for the prose style, but for the story, this book is actually very honest and very good at showing the real nature of the finance world towards creative entrepreneurs, private equity especially. Recommended reading for any finance person.

A worthwhile read. Tamara is not a great writer, but describes her ordeals with great openness, and honesty. You know when something terrible happens to someone you know, when they've been badly treated by the boss or forced to resign from something, and they have to tell you their side of the story? Their description of events is overwhelming in its detail and intricacy, but they keep going, and you can't get away? Well, that is how Tamara explains the ins and outs of her business and private life.I got the picture but didn't have the energy to forensically examine her story. I'll take her word for it.I really did like the inside story of the high fashion world and the many wealthy characters that inhabit it. Not my world, I'm pleased to say but Tamara colourfully illuminated it for me. She did a good job. Recommended.

This book was quite interesting. However, I'm not sure that Tamara's real personality comes out in it. In the book, she comes across as lovely, but I remember reading an interview with her. Her maid brought her a cup of tea, and she sent the maid back because she had used the wrong cup - how awful, using the wrong cup!! In the book, Tamara talks about her own experiences being badly treated as an assistant to other people, and also about how women shouldn't put up with being bullied and should speak out - I wonder what would happen to her own maid if she spoke out against Tamara herself?? It all seems a bit hypocritical. The book was interesting, but I take all the "lovely Tamara" sort of stuff with a pinch of salt.