Tamara Mellon

Profession

Fashion Designer

Net worth

$225,000,000

Source of Wealth

Fashion (Cofounder of Jimmy Choo)

Nationality

United Kingdom

Stiletto queen Tamara Mellon, co-founder of the Jimmy Choo shoe brand, advises: “Every girl should have a great open-toed platform shoe in a pale gold fabric, a chic wedge for any on-grass event, and a perfect flat shoe in a neutral colour for every day." Mellon, a former accessories editor at Vogue, set up the company with Hackney cobbler Jimmy Choo in 1996, with a £150,000 loan from her late father, Tommy Yeardye, co-founder of the Vidal Sassoon hair products empire. But she says: “When my father died I inherited absolutely nothing. All I have is the money I made." Mellon, 43, kept her married name after divorcing New York banking and oil heir Matthew Mellon, with whom she has a daughter, Araminta. With profits more than trebling to £15.3m on £82m sales in 2009, Jimmy Choo, which is exploring a float, could be worth £650m, but we cautiously stick with £500m. It is also expanding into jewellery, fragrance, handbags and homewear. When Lion Capital sold its £180m stake in the business in 2007, Mellon netted £25m. She retains a 17% holding worth £85m and remains the glamorous face of Jimmy Choo, whose shoes retail at up to £1,000 a pair. Past proceeds and London property take her to £150m.