Singer mourns tragic death of close friend and mentor

Singer and actress Jessica Simpson took to Instagram today to pay tribute to her close friend Vince Camuto, a man she described as "my mentor, my family, the creator of all my dreams."

Design legend and businessman Vince, aged 71, passed away of natural causes late last night. Although he is best known being the man behind shoe label Nine West, Vince and Jessica had worked closely together on various projects over the last decade, and he was the co-founder of her hugely successful namesake clothing brand 

This morning Jessica shared a picture of herself with Vince, alongside a quote from the late designer which read, "“It is never about one person. It’s the teams you put in place. Without the right people, you’re nowhere."

Jessica also added her own touching message, saying, "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. #brokenheart"

The Dukes of Hazzard star gushed about her relationship with Vince in an interview early last year, saying, "2015 is our 10-year anniversary. It’s exciting… Vince is an inspiration in so many ways. He’s a savvy businessman, he’s a family man and we share a passion about design and great products."

It's never easy to lose a good friend – we hope poor Jessica is holding up okay today.