2001 : November: Equinox Luxury Holdings Ltd. invests $30 million in the company, buying out Choo, who resumes work in his original bespoke business. Equinox will spearhead a bold expansion plan, with a goal of opening 25 new stores within the next five years. Rumors surface that Choo was bullied out of the company that bears his name, but Mellon dismisses the talk. "Some people see him as the underdog. ‘She came in and stole his name and did this and did that.' He was very happy. He went away with a lot of money, and he was very happy. I made him wealthy," she will later say. December: Equinox appoints Robert Bensoussan, a former LVMH executive, as C.E.O. of Jimmy Choo Ltd., and Tom Yeardye remains as chairman.
2009 : April: Collaborates with Hunter Boots for a croc-embossed spin on the classic British wellies. November: Fans go wild for Jimmy Choo's low-priced H&M limited-edition line.