Camuto Group chief creative officer Louise Camuto continues to garner attention for her philanthropy.
The wife of the late Vince Camuto, co-founder of Nine West and founder of Camuto Group, was one of three women honored Tuesday at the 10th Annual Women of Inspiration luncheon in New York.
The event is hosted by K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers, a 30-year-old charity that donates new products, including apparel, accessories, shoes and home furnishings, to underprivileged families. The organization relies heavily on donations from footwear and apparel companies such as Camuto Group to help it provide relief to families — as in the case of last year’s flooding in South Carolina, where the charity donated nearly $2 million in products to those affected.
The event’s other honorees were Claudia Stern, intimate buyer for Gabriel Brothers, and Luanne Whiting-Lager, VP and CFO of Regal Lager Inc.
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While accepting her honor, Camuto took an opportunity to discuss some of the challenges facing women, particularly across the U.S.
“Women make enormous contributions to economies — whether in business or on farms, as entrepreneurs or employees or by doing unpaid care work at home,” Camuto said. “Yet in America, women are 35 percent more likely than men to be poor and single mothers face the highest risk.”
The creative officer said she would continue to partner with organizations such as K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers to help change those dynamics.
“I think we should [live] our lives by example and try to help others as much as we can,” she said. “We can only be as strong as the work we do together.”
Camuto was also honored by the The Father’s Day/Mother’s Day charity last month as one of four “outstanding mothers” and plays a key role in Camuto Group’s involvement in several other charitable initiatives, including FFANY Shoes On Sale, which supports breast cancer research and awareness.
Other companies that have donated to K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers include Skechers, Deckers Brands, Iconix Brand Group and Sequential Brands Group.
