SHOE DESIGNER, VINCE CAMUTO PASSED ON IN HIS HOME AT THE AGE OF 78 ON WED, 21ST JANUARY, 2015 OF CANCER. THE CO-FOUNDER OF NINE WEST WAS ALSO THE BRAIN BEHIND JESSICA SIMPSON'S SUCCESS IN THE SHOE BUSINESS AND WAS A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON TORY BURCH.
BELOW IS A BRIEF STORY OF THE LEGENDARY SHOE DESIGNER VINCE CAMUTO...(FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH FASHION REPORTER TERI AGINS IN 2012)... ENJOY!!!!
The fashion designer who manages to break through and succeed in the marketplace is the stellar exception. And every once in a generation, a fashion legend comes around, soars straight to the top—and stays there for a long time. Such was the path of shoe guru Vince Camuto, the co-founder of Nine West in 1978.
The fashion world lost a giant with the passing of Vince Camuto.
Vince Camuto at a Nordstrom event in 2012. Photo: Getty.
In the 1960s, Bronx-born teenager Vince Camuto dropped out of high school to help his widowed mom cover their daily expenses. He gravitated to a sales job that offered good commissions and the promise of fast advancement: shoe salesman in Midtown Manhattan at I. Miller, the toniest women's foot wear retailer in the business.
Vince Camuto, a handsome fellow with a ready smile and patient demeanor—he and his mother talked about everything at home, so he was accustomed to listening to women—developed a real talent for selling shoes. He paid attention to women, their desires and insecurities. And he sold-boxes and boxes of shoes to I. Miller patrons—as he quickly rose to top salesman in the store. .
With his experience of listening to the customers, he belonged in the merchandising and design end of the shoe business. He became a fashion merchandiser for a shoe manufacturer in Miami. In reviving the company's factory—revamping everything from logistics to design—he made it profitable. Many job offers followed, and he became the head of an import division for a footwear retailer.
Vince Camuto in his Nine West days.
When they opened their New York office in a high-rise office building at 9 West Fifty-Seventh Street, Camuto looked out the window and saw the large red 9 sculpture in front of the building. "That's how we came up with the name Nine West,. Nine West became the name of the mid priced shoes they sold to department stores, and they started to roll out Nine West stores in 1983 in Stamford, Connecticut, the company's corporate headquarters.
Nine West set a new fashion standard for working women's shoes by introducing real variety: trendy pumps, sandals, and boots in many shades and novelty styles, priced affordably, from $20 to about $100. Nine West designers traveled to Italy and France scouting for unusual boutique styles they could reinterpret for American customers.
After Nine West was sold, Camuto had to wait two years before he could go back into the shoe business, as stipulated in his non compete agreement. He spent that time in Greenwich, Connecticut, enjoying his family and his second wife, Louise Drevenstam, a former Miss Sweden and first runner-up to Miss Universe in 1989, as well as thinking about his next professional moves.
Camuto Group, his next venture, became an expert resource to footwear retailers. And Camuto's retail executive friend Alex Dillard convinced him to start manufacturing again: private-label shoes for his family's Dillard's department stores, the three-hundred-store chain based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Camuto Group launched four new shoe brands for Dillard's, and Camuto's footwear licensing deals grew over the years to include major retail chains such as Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and BCBG Max Azria.
It was in fact in his Greenwich home in 2003, on an ordinary evening hanging out in front of the TV with his thirteen-year-old son, John, that Camuto told me he first laid eyes on Jessica Simpson. "We were just flipping channels and we happened to stop on MTV when Jessica was on," recalled John in 2013, now twenty-three and manager of product and retail development for Camuto Group. "She's such a beautiful woman, so that got our attention. And she was this personality, really bubbly; she was awesome, so that just kept us on that channel."
Vince Camuto had a good hunch about the possibilities for Jessica as a brand, but first he did his research, which led to meeting with her for the first time over dinner with her mother, Tina, in Manhattan. They hit it off immediately.
After Jessica Simpson jeans stumbled out of the gate, Camuto picked up the pieces, taking over the master license agreement. His first order of business was to sever Jessica's association with the failed jeans line, which had begun to tarnish her image. Being Camuto, he naturally redirected her into the business he knew best: shoes. It just so happened that footwear also was the fashion category with the buzz of the moment and the healthiest profit margins, so the timing was fortuitous.
Sex and the City had already created mass lust for stiletto pumps. But millions of women couldn't afford to wear Carrie Bradshaw's $600 pairs of Manalo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, or Jimmy Choo high heels, which left a huge, slavering market for sexy high heels with a younger edge that cost less than $100.
Camuto turned them out en masse, and they were a runaway (not runway) hit. Camuto went with Jessica's trademark look—those thick cork platforms that women used to playfully nickname "fuck me" pumps for their former association with hookers.
Jessica's beauty and innocence had transformed that faded streetwalker stigma into respectable fashion that was hip and gave short women (Jessica is just five foot two) real stature. In paparazzi shots, Jessica could be seen tooling around town in those heels, tossing her long blonde hair and wearing big sunglasses; a minidress, shorts, or tight leggings; and carrying a big designer satchel over her arm.
Vince Camuto and Jessica Simpson in 2005. Photo: Getty.
Jessica's fame now centered less around her Brigitte Bardot cuteness and more on her struggles with boyfriends and her steady weight gain that took her from voluptuous to zaftig. The tabloids couldn't get enough of her, especially for the two years she dated Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who she proclaimed "the love of my life" on the cover of People magazine. On the eve of Jessica's twenty-ninth birthday, Romo broke up with her. She was crestfallen, and so were women across America.
Women liked not only her shoes, but also that they could relate to her pain, which made her so approachable.
A secret to the popularity of Jessica Simpson platform shoes was that they were designed for comfortable walking. It was what Camuto's expert technicians had worked on for years—the perfect balance of form and foam: the more foam rubber, the more comfortable.
.
Today, Jessica Simpson shoes are worn by women all over the world, especially in Greece, where high platform shoes worn with short dresses are a club uniform. She's even a hit in markets like South Korea, where women have never seen her on TV nor have any idea who she is.
In fact, it could be said that Jessica Simpon's biggest fashion achievement is having become invisible. Finally she can let the shoes—and the rest of the merch—do the talking.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, ALL THE FACTS WE BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW!!
SOME OF THE THINGS I HAVE LEARNT FROM FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF THIS GREAT MAN AND WHICH INSPIRE ME ARE
1.Amazing style can be made affordably.
The priority of Nine West was always affordable style, and they continue to deliver on that mission. Value was foremost with him too. I read once where he said “We don’t think that we can fool her. We give her the best value."
2. The first step to great design is great listening.
He was a great listener, he listened to the complaints of women, painful shoes and slipping heels, and this applies to every fashion endeavor,every consumer business. Customers will tell you what the problem is if you listen, and then you just need to solve it. Never assume you know what people want.
3. If you want to work in any industry, learn all about it.
At 24, Vince was working for John Irving in Miami, forecasting trends and learning about the moderate-price market, even though it wasn’t his ideal job, he soaked up any and all industry knowledge. If you’re going to be truly successful in any business, you can’t just understand say, the creative side. You need to understand all aspects of the business.
4. Always stay in touch with the customers.
Even as a multi-millionaire and footwear legend, Vince Camuto was successful because he never just retreated to his office.He had a great feel for product also knew how to market and build a business. He was always in the stores and paid attention to the customers, which is the same with many successful fashion designers.
5. The best designers know it’s not all about them.
Part of being a great leader is surrounding yourself with great people and trusting those people. He always gave credit to his design teams.
NOTABLE AMONG HIS QUOTES ARE,
”It’s never about one person. It’s the teams you put in place. Without the right people, you’re nowhere.”
"“I’m passionate about creating a product women really want, infusing great style, comfort, and unparalleled value, for every stage of her life.”....
... R.I.P VINCE CAMUTO!!!! I DEFINATELY LEARNT QUITE SOME FROM THIS ONE.
CALL OR WHATSAPP 08039268597, 08148134408
BBM PIN 7C0F9234
EMAIL: sole.divas2014@gmail.com,
sole.divas88@gmail.com
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @SOLEDIVAS88
LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE @SOLE.DIVAS
SHOP STYLE, SHOP QUALITY BRANDS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES.....SOLE.DIVAS!!!
Vince Camuto at a Nordstrom event in 2012. Photo: Getty.
In the 1960s, Bronx-born teenager Vince Camuto dropped out of high school to help his widowed mom cover their daily expenses. He gravitated to a sales job that offered good commissions and the promise of fast advancement: shoe salesman in Midtown Manhattan at I. Miller, the toniest women's foot wear retailer in the business.
Vince Camuto, a handsome fellow with a ready smile and patient demeanor—he and his mother talked about everything at home, so he was accustomed to listening to women—developed a real talent for selling shoes. He paid attention to women, their desires and insecurities. And he sold-boxes and boxes of shoes to I. Miller patrons—as he quickly rose to top salesman in the store. .
With his experience of listening to the customers, he belonged in the merchandising and design end of the shoe business. He became a fashion merchandiser for a shoe manufacturer in Miami. In reviving the company's factory—revamping everything from logistics to design—he made it profitable. Many job offers followed, and he became the head of an import division for a footwear retailer.
Vince Camuto in his Nine West days.
When they opened their New York office in a high-rise office building at 9 West Fifty-Seventh Street, Camuto looked out the window and saw the large red 9 sculpture in front of the building. "That's how we came up with the name Nine West,. Nine West became the name of the mid priced shoes they sold to department stores, and they started to roll out Nine West stores in 1983 in Stamford, Connecticut, the company's corporate headquarters.
Nine West set a new fashion standard for working women's shoes by introducing real variety: trendy pumps, sandals, and boots in many shades and novelty styles, priced affordably, from $20 to about $100. Nine West designers traveled to Italy and France scouting for unusual boutique styles they could reinterpret for American customers.
After Nine West was sold, Camuto had to wait two years before he could go back into the shoe business, as stipulated in his non compete agreement. He spent that time in Greenwich, Connecticut, enjoying his family and his second wife, Louise Drevenstam, a former Miss Sweden and first runner-up to Miss Universe in 1989, as well as thinking about his next professional moves.
Camuto Group, his next venture, became an expert resource to footwear retailers. And Camuto's retail executive friend Alex Dillard convinced him to start manufacturing again: private-label shoes for his family's Dillard's department stores, the three-hundred-store chain based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Camuto Group launched four new shoe brands for Dillard's, and Camuto's footwear licensing deals grew over the years to include major retail chains such as Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and BCBG Max Azria.
It was in fact in his Greenwich home in 2003, on an ordinary evening hanging out in front of the TV with his thirteen-year-old son, John, that Camuto told me he first laid eyes on Jessica Simpson. "We were just flipping channels and we happened to stop on MTV when Jessica was on," recalled John in 2013, now twenty-three and manager of product and retail development for Camuto Group. "She's such a beautiful woman, so that got our attention. And she was this personality, really bubbly; she was awesome, so that just kept us on that channel."
Vince Camuto had a good hunch about the possibilities for Jessica as a brand, but first he did his research, which led to meeting with her for the first time over dinner with her mother, Tina, in Manhattan. They hit it off immediately.
After Jessica Simpson jeans stumbled out of the gate, Camuto picked up the pieces, taking over the master license agreement. His first order of business was to sever Jessica's association with the failed jeans line, which had begun to tarnish her image. Being Camuto, he naturally redirected her into the business he knew best: shoes. It just so happened that footwear also was the fashion category with the buzz of the moment and the healthiest profit margins, so the timing was fortuitous.
Sex and the City had already created mass lust for stiletto pumps. But millions of women couldn't afford to wear Carrie Bradshaw's $600 pairs of Manalo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, or Jimmy Choo high heels, which left a huge, slavering market for sexy high heels with a younger edge that cost less than $100.
Camuto turned them out en masse, and they were a runaway (not runway) hit. Camuto went with Jessica's trademark look—those thick cork platforms that women used to playfully nickname "fuck me" pumps for their former association with hookers.
Jessica's beauty and innocence had transformed that faded streetwalker stigma into respectable fashion that was hip and gave short women (Jessica is just five foot two) real stature. In paparazzi shots, Jessica could be seen tooling around town in those heels, tossing her long blonde hair and wearing big sunglasses; a minidress, shorts, or tight leggings; and carrying a big designer satchel over her arm.
Vince Camuto and Jessica Simpson in 2005. Photo: Getty.
Jessica's fame now centered less around her Brigitte Bardot cuteness and more on her struggles with boyfriends and her steady weight gain that took her from voluptuous to zaftig. The tabloids couldn't get enough of her, especially for the two years she dated Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who she proclaimed "the love of my life" on the cover of People magazine. On the eve of Jessica's twenty-ninth birthday, Romo broke up with her. She was crestfallen, and so were women across America.
Women liked not only her shoes, but also that they could relate to her pain, which made her so approachable.
A secret to the popularity of Jessica Simpson platform shoes was that they were designed for comfortable walking. It was what Camuto's expert technicians had worked on for years—the perfect balance of form and foam: the more foam rubber, the more comfortable.
.
Today, Jessica Simpson shoes are worn by women all over the world, especially in Greece, where high platform shoes worn with short dresses are a club uniform. She's even a hit in markets like South Korea, where women have never seen her on TV nor have any idea who she is.
In fact, it could be said that Jessica Simpon's biggest fashion achievement is having become invisible. Finally she can let the shoes—and the rest of the merch—do the talking.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, ALL THE FACTS WE BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW!!
SOME OF THE THINGS I HAVE LEARNT FROM FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF THIS GREAT MAN AND WHICH INSPIRE ME ARE
1.Amazing style can be made affordably.
The priority of Nine West was always affordable style, and they continue to deliver on that mission. Value was foremost with him too. I read once where he said “We don’t think that we can fool her. We give her the best value."
2. The first step to great design is great listening.
He was a great listener, he listened to the complaints of women, painful shoes and slipping heels, and this applies to every fashion endeavor,every consumer business. Customers will tell you what the problem is if you listen, and then you just need to solve it. Never assume you know what people want.
3. If you want to work in any industry, learn all about it.
At 24, Vince was working for John Irving in Miami, forecasting trends and learning about the moderate-price market, even though it wasn’t his ideal job, he soaked up any and all industry knowledge. If you’re going to be truly successful in any business, you can’t just understand say, the creative side. You need to understand all aspects of the business.
4. Always stay in touch with the customers.
Even as a multi-millionaire and footwear legend, Vince Camuto was successful because he never just retreated to his office.He had a great feel for product also knew how to market and build a business. He was always in the stores and paid attention to the customers, which is the same with many successful fashion designers.
5. The best designers know it’s not all about them.
Part of being a great leader is surrounding yourself with great people and trusting those people. He always gave credit to his design teams.
NOTABLE AMONG HIS QUOTES ARE,
”It’s never about one person. It’s the teams you put in place. Without the right people, you’re nowhere.”
"“I’m passionate about creating a product women really want, infusing great style, comfort, and unparalleled value, for every stage of her life.”....
... R.I.P VINCE CAMUTO!!!! I DEFINATELY LEARNT QUITE SOME FROM THIS ONE.
CALL OR WHATSAPP 08039268597, 08148134408
BBM PIN 7C0F9234
EMAIL: sole.divas2014@gmail.com,
sole.divas88@gmail.com
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @SOLEDIVAS88
LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE @SOLE.DIVAS
SHOP STYLE, SHOP QUALITY BRANDS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES.....SOLE.DIVAS!!!
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