Vince Camuto
Vince Camuto | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Vincent Camuto 4 June 1936 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | 21 January 2015 (aged 78) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Footwear designer, executive |
| Known for | Co-founder of Nine West; CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Camuto Group |
John Vincent "Vince" Camuto (June 4, 1936 – January 21, 2015) was a prominent American designer and executive in women's footwear, widely recognized for co-establishing the fashion label Nine West. Following the $900 million sale of Nine West to Jones Apparel Group in 1999, Camuto assumed the roles of CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Camuto Group, which was instrumental in developing the Jessica Simpson brand. On October 10, 2018, Authentic Brands Group acquired Vince Camuto as part of a transaction to obtain a controlling interest in the Camuto Group’s proprietary brands, collaborating with DSW Inc..
Early years
Vince Camuto was born on June 4, 1936, in New York City. His father, Luigi Camuto, a Sicilian craftsman, passed away when Vince was only two years old. His mother, Louise Zenga Camuto, worked as a seamstress. Vince attended Seward Park High School and began his career at age 18 at I. Miller Department Store, initially in shoe repair before transitioning to sales.
During the early 1960s, Camuto joined Sudbury Shoe Company where he gained valuable expertise in footwear manufacturing and contributed to revitalizing a faltering factory in Farmington, Maine. In 1968, he encountered fellow industry expert Jerome "Jack" Fisher on an airplane. Together they collaborated on developing shoe production facilities in Brazil for the Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Corporation, an endeavor that highlighted the scalability opportunities within large factory operations.
Nine West
In 1977, Camuto and Fisher launched Fisher Camuto, which later evolved into Nine West Group. The brand’s name was inspired by a number displayed on an adjacent building near their Manhattan office. The company focused on merging trendy designs with affordable pricing and primarily manufactured its products in Brazilian factories. It was among the first to wholesale quality footwear in "case packs" containing predetermined sizes, streamlining inventory management and reducing excess production costs by better matching supply with demand. Nine West broadened its reach by establishing concept stores across major metropolitan areas in the United States. After serving as creative director, Fisher became CEO when the company went public in 1993. The business was ultimately sold to Jones Apparel Group for $900 million in 1999.
Camuto Group
In August 2001, Vince Camuto and his wife Louise Camuto founded Camuto Group to provide design, sourcing, marketing, and manufacturing services tailored for retailers. By 2002, they introduced four footwear brands—Antonio Melani, Gianni Bini, Nurture, and Michelle D—for Dillard's Department Stores. That same year included securing footwear licenses for BCBG, Max Azria, and BCBGirls.
The year 2005 saw the launch of the Vince Camuto footwear line—separate from the apparel brand Vince. Additionally, Camuto collaborated with Tory Burch to debut her footwear collection and co-designed the iconic Reva ballet flat. By 2009, the company expanded its portfolio by incorporating Lucky Brand Jeans and kensiegirl footwear lines alongside a new handbag collection.
Also beginning in 2005, Camuto acquired the master license for Jessica Simpson. Two years later, he inaugurated the first Jessica Simpson Collection shop-in-shop at Macy's Herald Square, New York City, with further locations opening subsequently. As of February 2014, this brand achieved a valuation of approximately $1 billion.
Death and legacy
Camuto passed away at the age of 78 on January 21, 2015, succumbing to prostate cancer at his residence in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Throughout his life, he was a benefactor to several charitable organizations such as Ronald McDonald House, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Leukemia Society of America, and The Domestic Abuse Awareness Foundation. Additionally, he contributed his expertise as a board member for Wish-And-A-Smile, an organization dedicated to supporting children's causes.
His enterprises received numerous accolades within the industry: Fisher Camuto was honored as Company of the Year by Footwear News in 1991; Nine West secured the title of Retailer of the Year in 1994; and Camuto himself was inducted into the Footwear News Hall of Fame in 2001.
Alex Dillard, president of Dillard's Inc, commemorated Camuto as "an icon" whose "unparalleled enthusiasm for the footwear industry and visionary approach to combining style with functionality" left a lasting impact.
Works
- Life of Style. New York: Assouline, 2014.