Surrounded by divine shoes, bags and clothes all day every day, being on top of the latest fashion trends and having half of Hollywood lusting after your creations. It’s but a dream for most of us, but for John Camuto it’s a daily reality.
Son of designer Vince Camuto, (who co-founded of the Nine West group and is CEO of the Camuto group), John is the heir to the fashionable family throne and works as International Manager of Product and Store Development for the company. Last week, he paid a special visit to landmark Dublin store Arnotts and spoke to Her.ie about the brand’s foundations, ethos, and future plans.
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Fashion is in the blood for you John, how young were you when you became interested in the family business?
Growing up, my dad would always have me involved. He has a picture of me colouring in a shoe with one of the famous designers from Nine West. I was always playing around with colour, you know, different colour palettes and that – just being creative.
At the same time, I was really interested in art and that’s where the foundations of my sense of fashion originated.
I love cars, the lines of the cars and how they swoop, just like the line of a heel or a bootie. It’s really interesting and it attracts my eye.
In high school I took a bunch of art classes and I went to a prestigious design school. When I started taking art I really realised that fashion is art. Everyone does it their own way, and it’s constantly changing – which is why it’s so interesting. You really have to stay in tune with it and move with it, or else you’re out of the game. It really never stops!
Does that create a sense of fear – facing that fresh challenge every season?
You can never really live in fear, or else you’ll never live. We put tonnes of research and analysis into the next season, the following season’s trends. We’re quite confident on the trends and we really stand behind them. There hasn’t been a season where we’ve veered off-track in any way because we always cover the basis, which I think is really essential.
You have to have the basic programme, which is your booties, your flats, your basic pumps – and then every season you add a little flair. You have to go with what you believe in, and stand behind it. I like that feeling.
Vince Camuto ‘Tara’ Satchel, €245, Arnotts
Who is the Vince Camuto woman?
The Vince Camuto woman is a working woman. She’s intelligent. She wears any of the categories, and she’s confident. She also seeks utility, and she knows what she wants – quality. You see it in the Irish woman. In all the department stores there’s a little sticker that says ‘leather lined’ or ‘real leather’. So she’s very aware of quality, and she knows that we can give it to her. That’s what we have a customer who keeps coming back. We have a following of customers who are really loyal to the brand and won’t settle for less.
The company looks to be enjoying a very impressive growth rate – what do you put that down to?
Our original strategy was for aggressive growth. Even when we launched the brand, we knew prior to entering the market and filling this void that there was a place in the market for shoes that offer value, style and comfort, sold at a reasonable, affordable price. We create great products, and we hand select department stores where our consumer is, and we really penetrate the market. If you have a great product, it sells – no matter what.
We’re in over 5,400 doors worldwide. We have fifteen freestanding stores in the US. We’re in over 60 countries, over 30 categories. We have men’s, women’s, fragrances – we can dress you head to toe. Now we have bedding! It’s really a lifestyle brand. You immerse yourself into this Vince Camuto world.
John Camuto, pictured with blogger Lorna Claire Weightman during his recent visit to Arnotts
Which countries outside the US have most reactive to the brand to date?
It’s difficult to measure in some ways, but Ireland has tremendous growth. Especially in Arnotts, we’re really doing well with our handbags and shoes. I mean The Shoe Garden is amazing! Dublin is a special place for us; it’s a really unique customer.
Dubai is a very big market for us now too. People have been reacting to the brand in a really positive way and we are way ahead of schedule in terms of store openings. We already have three stores in Dubai, we have four in Abu Dhabi. It’s a very exciting market.
We’ve yet to see a celeb featuring in your marketing campaigns, is that a brand policy?
Right now, we’re focused on the product. None of the campaigns have been shot with ‘famous’ models; it’s all about the products. Overall, we’d rather spend on the product and give it back the customer. You can have whatever celebrity modeling a shoe or a dress or a watch, but if it’s not the right quality or the right price, the customer won’t come back.
We do have a lot of celebrities choosing to wear our products though. Heidi Klum, Mila Kunis, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift. They recognise the quality and design and have opted for our creations.
Vince Camuto ‘Lexi’ Backpack, €135, Arnotts
What’s next for Vince Camuto?
Vince Camuto as a brand, with all our categories, is on our path of aggressive growth. We love our Irish market and working with Arnotts especially – we’ve found a great partnership there. We want to grow our categories and have a complete Vince Camuto lifestyle brand available to the Irish customer. You’ll definitely be seeing a lot more of us here.
Vince Camuto shoes and handbags are available in Arnotts Dublin and online at Arnotts.ie
