Vince Camuto, an impactful and respected force in the fashion world, died at his house in Greenwich, Conn., Wednesday after battling cancer, according to WWD. He was 78.

Camuto, the co-founder of Nine West along with Jerome Fisher, went on to build a multibillion-dollar brand. In 2001, he launched the Camuto Group and four years later started the successful labels Vince Camuto, VC Signature Vince Camuto and Louise et Cie. He expanded his collection from just women's shoes to include dresses, coats, jewelry, fragrances, watches, handbags, sunglasses, men's apparel and more. The designer also prided himself in making products that were affordable for the general public.

"We make it where it's approachable for women," he told Enstars during New York Fashion Week in 2013. "Not everyone can make a million dollars a year and even if you did you can't afford everything out there anyway."

Born and raised in New York City, Mr. Camuto started his career in his late teens working for I. Miller. He started the Nine West Group in 1978 while in his mid-30s. In 1999, the former business partners sold the company to the Jones Group Inc. for almost $900 million.

Aside from his own labels, Camuto also collaborated with other distinguished labels, including Tory Burch, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor and Dillard's. He notably launched the Jessica Simpson brand, which brought in more than $1 billion in 2014.

Simpson mourned the loss of Camuto via social media by sharing a photo with the designer and thanking him for all he had done for her.

"Thank you, Vince, for the humble power that has taken me everywhere. You are my mentor, my family, the creator of all my dreams. I will forever walk in your shoes...you made them," she wrote.

She also shared some of his powerful words: "It is never about one person. It's the teams you put in place. Without the right people, you're nowhere."

Camuto is survived by his wife Louise and five children.

Tags: celebrity deaths