Vince Camuto
John Vincent "Vince" Camuto (June 4, 1936 – January 21, 2015) was an American women's footwear designer and shoe industry executive, best known for co-founding the women's fashion brand Nine West. Following the 1999 sale of Nine West to Jones Apparel Group for $900 million, Camuto became CEO and Chief Creative Officer of a new fashion company, Camuto Group, maker of the Jessica Simpson brand. On October 10, 2018, Vince Camuto was acquired by Authentic Brands Group, as part of the company's definitive agreement to purchase a majority stake in the intellectual property of the Camuto Group's proprietary brands in partnership with DSW Inc. Biography Early years John Vincent Camuto, commonly known as "Vince," was born June 4, 1936, in New York City. Vince's father, Luigi Camuto, was an artisan who immigrated from Sicily and died when Vince was two years old. His mother, Louise Zenga Camuto, worked as a seamstress to support the family. Camuto attended Seward Park High School in New York City and began working at an I. Miller Department Store at the age of 18, working first at shoe repair before moving to a position in sales. Camuto went to work for the Sudbury Shoe Company