Jimmy Choo Co-Founder Sues Shoe Company Alleging Boycott

  • Tamara Mellon left company in 2011 and started own line
  • Mellon says company told manufacturers not to work with her

Tamara Mellon.

Photographer: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Jimmy Choo Plc was sued by the co-founder of its eponymous shoe line who alleged the company launched a campaign to punish her as she prepared to start a new venture.

Tamara Mellon, who founded the shoe brand in the mid-1990s with its namesake before leaving in 2011, claims Jimmy Choo sought to punish her when it learned she was about to start a new brand and publish her memoir. The London-based company threatened manufacturers with the loss of Jimmy Choo business if they worked with her or anyone affiliated with her, she said.