GREENWICH, Conn., Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Footwear designer Vince Camuto, one of the co-founders of Nine West, died Wednesday in Greenwich, Conn. He was 78.
Camuto died of cancer at his home, surrounded by his wife and five children.
Together with Jerome Fisher, Camuto founded the Nine West footwear line in 1973. The two sold the company to the Jones Group for nearly $900 million in 1999
He also started the Camuto Group in 2001 and created labels Vince Camuto, VC Signature Vince Camuto and Louise et Cie. The labels generate about $1 billion in global sales.
"I really listened and learned, especially from the women. They told you what they liked, what they didn't like," Camuto said of his success in the fashion industry.
Camuto's website posted a tribute to the designer, saying he had "extraordinary talent," "passionate vision" and "larger-than-life spirit."
