They said/We said: Tamara Mellon leaves Jimmy Choo in a hurry, but why?

News broke over the weekend that Tamara Mellon, co-founder and creative director of the world-renowned Jimmy Choo, would be leaving the company—and information about the split is still being released to the curious public.

Mellon, who was going to finish out the month as a creative consultant for the design team, is now being reported to have made her resignation immediate, and we can’t help but suspect some kind of bad blood. Jimmy Choo was bought by luxury firm Labelux last May, and Mellon gained over £85 million from the sale, a good reason not to stay with a job that is no longer completely enjoyable.

Leaving at the same time as Mellon is Joshua Shulman, the CEO of Jimmy Choo, and the timing of their departures is making more than a few fashion industry insiders suspicious, and Shulman’s recent statement doesn’t seem to help: “We’re not going off together [to pursue a new project].” Many assume that Mellon will start another brand—she didn’t seem adverse to the idea in a recent interview she gave. Mellon and Schulman are heralded for their design sensibilities and business smarts—they’re “the perfect cocktail of art and science”—and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that some kind of partnership is at play.

THEY SAID…

Daily Mail: “Her departure, along with the label’s chief executive Joshua Schulman, has raised more than a few eyebrows in the industry.” [Daily Mail]

Fashionologie: “According to Labelux, Mellon left ‘to pursue [an] independent career,’ and the company has no plans to replace her as chief creative officer.” [Fashionologie]

Fashionista: “It’s the end of an era, for sure, and always interesting to watch how a company changes when it loses a founder.” [Fashionista]

The Cut: “In related news, Jimmy Choo will probably have to get a new face for its fragrance.” [The Cut]

WE SAID…

Emilie Dingfeld, copy editor: “Her sudden departure could be due to trouble in paradise since Labelux purchased the brand, or it could just be an alignment of the stars—85 million pounds is a pretty good reason to get up and move. It’s clear that Mellon was critical to Jimmy Choo’s success, so it’ll surely be a challenge to find a replacement who understands the brand as well as she does—but change can be good. Whether or not she’s going to collaborate with Shulman is open to speculation, but let’s hope that the dynamic duo will pair up and give fashion another brand to covet. She wasn’t named Businesswoman of the Year by Harper’s for nothing, right?”

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