Glam Slam: Cheap Chic Choos

When I met Jimmy Choo Founder Tamara Mellon the first thing I did was jokingly bow down to her and say “We’re not worthy!” Who doesn’t love a Choo, right? And now the luxury brand is a lot more affordable, thanks to the new Jimmy Choo Collection for global cheap chic giant H&M.

Tamara is as gorgeous and glamorous in person, as she is in photos. She is also friendly and was eager to personally walk me through the new collection during a busy, press filled visit to LA at the H&M showroom on Sunset Boulevard.

The collection features shoes and bags, of course! There are other accessories, including belts, jewelry and scarves and what’s really cool is that she has designed clothing for the first time… for women and men.

Demi Moore has already worn the $249 one shoulder grey suede dress on the red carpet. There is also a black leather version. A black beaded dress sells for $199. Most of the collection is black with a few pops of color, like a rich royal blue suede mini dress ($249).

“Party Glamour” is the theme and Tamara delivers just that. There are sexy high heels, studded belts, animal print shoes, bags and chain mail jewelry. These are “going out” clothes that are perfect for holiday festivities.

Often, you see a collection in a magazine and it photographs well, but then looks cheap and cheesy in person. Tamara seemed genuinely pleased when I told her I was pleasantly surprised and impressed that the collection looks just as good up close as it does in magazine ads.

Tamara proudly called attention to the quality of the leather she used, which was very soft, as was the suede of a black fringed dress. As we moved through the racks of clothes, she singled out skinny leather leggings for $199. I told her those would look amazing on a leggy beauty like her… probably not so much on someone with “real girl thighs” like myself.

Which is why purses are always a sure thing – one size fits all! A studded black leather bag for $199 was a standout. My absolute favorite piece was a sparkly zip up cardigan and Tamara showed me the details pointing out that it’s cashmere and hand beaded ($129).

I might have to hit the store extra early to make sure I snag these two things before they sell out! The Jimmy Choo for H&M collection will hit 200 select stores globally this Saturday, November 14th. www.hm.com

CHOOS FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Want to splurge on the original high end line of Choos? Now, you can feel a little less guilty about it. Jimmy Choo is launching Project PEP, a limited edition capsule collection of accessories, with 25% of the net sales going to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Prices start at $95. www.jimmychoo.com