Tamara Mellon Quotations

Everything I do is just really my intuition, and every time I go against my intuition, it's a mistake. Even though I may sit down and analyze and intellectualize something on paper, if I go against my gut feeling, it's wrong.

I'm always impressed by confidence, kindness and a sense of humour.

My motto is: feel the fear and do it anyway.

I have Vie Luxe candles in every room. In 2006 I spent the month of August in Sardinia, and the scent reminds me of the wonderful time we had.

The truth is that we all have lives that are complicated. We all get hurt by people we love sometimes. It's laughable to believe that anyone is immune. The important thing is how you behave.

A little jewellery on a man is OK, although he should never wear too much. Every man should always have a great watch.

I don't really care about gossip. I care about building great businesses.

If a woman gets tough in negotiations, she's difficult, whereas a man would be considered a brilliant businessman.

My worst date would be with someone nervous who has nothing to say. I like people who inspire me.

As a Business Ambassador, I am delighted to help both new and established British designers receive the recognition they deserve in the global fashion arena.

Men always look smart in a well-fitted, tailored suit. Conversely, they can be incredibly handsome in jeans combined with a cashmere jumper or a beaten-up leather jacket or even just a cotton T-shirt.

There have been moments in my career when I've had to be tough and I've had to step up to the plate - but usually that's because a man has underestimated me. But other than that, I wouldn't say I'm a tough person.

I actually have more shoes than anyone will ever know.

It's important for women to work. They need to keep their independence, to keep earning and being challenged.

I don't really understand what the public perception of me is. I think public perception and reality are two wholly different things.

I always knew I wanted to make my own way; I never wanted to be dependent on my father.

I just can't see myself as a trophy wife. I can't imagine not having my own life.

I think it takes 30 years to build a luxury brand.

My daughter is my passion and my life.

When someone asks about a career in fashion, I say start at the bottom. If you want to start a business, you have to know it from the ground up.

My mother and I never got along, not even when I was a child.

The thing about Uggs is that they're so comfortable. Once you've worn them, you don't want to go back.

If I wasn't in fashion, I would have been a psychiatrist.

The reality is that I spent years in the factories in Italy when I first set up Jimmy Choo. Today, everyone who has a job at Jimmy Choo, I've done their job - right down to the cleaner.

When you get divorced, you have to go through this awful thing of listing everything you own. When you actually sit down and write the list, you realize that the only good investments are art and property.

You never know. Down the road you can do a lot of product categories. But I think you really have to build your core first and for people to know you and respect you for that.

There's this sort of migration west at the moment, a sort of energy that's definitely moving to LA.

I tried to put direct to consumer through a wholesales channel - the industry was just not ready to adapt and change. The other issue I had was with Jimmy Choo.

I went back to the factories that I worked with at Jimmy Choo because they don't work for Jimmy Choo exclusively.

I had to put the company through a reorg, raise a new round of financing, and sort of press the restart button. But my feeling was that I wasn't going to be bullied. I wasn't going to let them take me down. I had to pull myself together and move forward.

I wear Sweet Revenge, the legging boots, a lot particularly in the winter.

Everyone in my office wears it all winter, it's our uniform because it's the easiest thing to wear.

What I hate is leather leggings and an ankle boot. I hate the line.

I'm really hoping just to keep building on what we're doing. You have to build your core business first which is really important.

The next few years is really going to be focused on shoes.

The city [ LA] is kind of going through an interesting transition; sort of renaissance time where there is so much going on here. I think it's really exciting to be here.

It's amazing how much resilience you can have when you're passionate about a project that you're doing.

It felt like strappy sandals were looking really old lady-ish; really dated and not cool.

I may not have the stereotypical head for business, but I have feet that were made for heels.

I often get the question from people, "well how can you sell luxury at that price?" What I'm explaining to everyone is I'm still paying the same factory cost as I paid when they were $800. I pay the same as my competitors who are in the luxury space pay, I just don't mark them up as much because I haven't put them in a wholesale channel. I don't have to put that extra margin on them.

Direct to consumer really gives you control of your business completely.

It doesn't matter what you are wearing-if you have good shoes and a good bag, you'll look right.

I always said I was determined to own a truly global brand. I didn't buy Jimmy Choo just to have a couple of shoe shops in London, did I?

I don't believe in doing collections anymore.

A magazine feature can reach hundreds of thousands of potential customers for a fashion brand. The way to reach a billion? Dress the actresses competing for attention at a highly televised event.

I don't believe in delivering four times a year and then also delivering things that are not season appropriate.

The customer moved on long before the industry reacted to what she wanted. She doesn't want to buy things four months in advance, she wants to buy something today and wear it tomorrow. She cares less about seasons and collections and really what she's looking for is price, quality, and convenience.

People who are over-educated become risk-averse.

What we're doing is giving her new exciting fashion things every month.

I have a personal motto that I live by, which is feel the fear and do it anyway. If you fail, you get up and you keep trying again.

Everything we're doing means there is a much bigger audience that we can reach.

[My consumer] is a combination of people who would have shopped with me when I was at Jimmy Choo and then also because of price point, there is a broader audience now that we can reach.

Its important for women to work. They need to keep their independence, to keep earning and being challenged.