John Vincent "Vince" Camuto (June 4, 1936 - January 21, 2015) is an American women's shoe designer and shoe industry executive, best known for recruiting Nine West women's fashion brands. Following the 1999 sale from Nine West to Jones Apparel Group for $ 900 million, Camuto became CEO and Chief Creative Officer of the new fashion company, Camuto Group, brand maker Jessica Simpson.
Video Vince Camuto
Biography
Initial years
John Vincent Camuto, commonly known as "Vince," was born June 4, 1936 in New York City. Vince's father, Luigi Camuto, was an artist who immigrated from Sicily and died when Vince was only two years old. His mother, Louise Zenga Camuto, works as a tailor to support the family.
Camuto attended Seward Park High School in New York City and started working at I. Miller Department Store at the age of 18, working first in shoe repair before moving to a sales position.
Camuto began working at the Sudbury Shoe Company in the early 1960s, entering the world of shoe manufacturing for the first time. He was instrumental in helping to reverse one of the company's search factories, located in Farmington, Maine.
In 1968, Camuto met fellow footwear industry professional Jerome "Jack" Fisher on an airplane. The couple decided to do business together, initially working with Japanese import giant Sumitomo Corporation to develop shoe manufacturing in Brazil for the Japanese market. The experience gave revelation to Camuto, who later recalled:
"When I get into factories in Brazil, my eyes are as wide open as I can not believe the size of these factories - and that they are empty, with some infrastructure and money, I know there is so much potential.
Nine West
In 1977, Camuto and Fisher decided to form their own company, Fisher Camuto, the predecessor of the Nine West Group. The company's name was taken from a number spied on a neighbor's building from their 57th office in Manhattan Street.
The company combines fashionable designs with popular prices, utilizing Brazilian factories for most of its production. The company is a pioneer in selling high quality shoes in "box packaging" of pre-designed sizes. This allows Fisher Camuto to achieve great efficiency in warehousing and to match supply with demand, thereby limiting losses through overproduction. The Western Nine also effectively grows in size and public awareness through the formation of corporate "shop concept" networks in urban centers across the United States. After serving as creative director of Nine West, in 1993 Fisher was appointed CEO when the company became a public company. In 1999, Nine West was sold to Jones Apparel Group for $ 900 million.
Camuto Group
In August 2001, with his wife Louise Camuto, Vince Camuto founded the Camuto Group, which provides design, source, marketing and production services to retailers. The following year, he launched four shoe brands for Dillard's Department Stores, including Antonio Melani, Gianni Bini, Nurture, and Michelle D. Later that year, he obtained a footwear license for BCBG, Max Azria, and BCBirls.
In 2005, he launched his shoe line name, Vince Camuto. Closely later in 2006, he partnered with Tory Burch to launch his footwear collection and collaborate with him to create Reva's flat ballet. In 2009, the company added Lucky Brand Jeans footwear and kensiegirl shoes to its portfolio and then launched a collection of handbags.
In 2005, Camuto purchased a master license for Jessica Simpson. Two years later, he opened the first Jessica Simpson Collection shops in Macy's Herald Square, New York. Additional shops have been opened in other cities. In February 2014, the brand was worth $ 1 billion.
Death and inheritance
Camuto died on January 21, 2015 due to prostate cancer at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was 78 years old at the time of his death.
Camuto supports charity activities including Ronald McDonald House, St. Jude, Leukemia Society of America and The Domestic Abuse Awareness Foundation. In addition, she serves on the Wish-And-A-Smile board, an organization dedicated to supporting many children's charities.
The Camuto Company was the recipient of several major industry awards, with Fisher Camuto being named the Company of the Year by Footwear News in 1991. Retailer Nine West's retail operation was named Retailer of the Year by the same publication in 1994. In 2001 Camuto is named to the Footwear News Hall of Fame.
Alex Dillard, president of Dilliard Inc. praised his friends as an "icon" of the fashion industry that "spirit for footwear business and... vision for unparalleled style meeting function."
Maps Vince Camuto
Footnote
Work
- Life of Style. New York: Assouline, 2014.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments