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. The pair decided to go into business together, initially working with Japanese import giant
Sumitomo Corporation to develop shoe manufacturing in
Brazil for the Japanese market.
Nine West In 1977, Camuto and Fisher broke free to form their own company, Fisher Camuto, forerunner of Nine West Group. Two years later, he opened the first Jessica Simpson Collection shop-in-shop at
Macy's Herald Square, New York. Additional shops have opened in other cities. , the brand is worth $1 billion. Camuto's companies were the recipient of several major industry awards, with Fisher Camuto named Company of the Year by
Footwear News in 1991. Nine West's retail operation was named Retailer of the Year by the same publication in 1994. In 2001 Camuto was named to the
Footwear News Hall of Fame. Alex Dillard, president of
Dilliard's Inc. eulogized his friend as "an icon" of the fashion industry whose "passion for the footwear business and ... vision for style meeting function were unmatched." == Footnotes ==