About Kenneth Cole
When Kenneth Cole returned from Europe ready to sell his first shoe designs, he needed to be resourceful to get noticed. He called a friend in the trucking business and asked to borrow one of his trucks to park in Midtown Manhattan. He said sure, but good luck getting permission. Kenneth Cole went to the mayor’s office, Koch at the time, and asked how one gets permission to park a 40 foot trailer truck in Midtown Manhattan. He said one doesn't. The only people the city gives parking permits to are production companies shooting full length motion pictures and utility companies like Con Ed or AT&T. So that day Kenneth Cole went to the stationery store and changed his company letterhead from Kenneth Cole, Inc. to Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. and the next day he applied for a permit to shoot a full length film entitled "The Birth of a Shoe Company."
With Kenneth Cole Productions painted on the side of the truck, he parked at 1370 6th Avenue, across from the New York Hilton, the day of shoe show. He opened for business with a fully furnished 40 ft trailer, a director (Sometimes there was film in the camera, sometimes there wasn't), models as actresses, and two of New York's finest, compliments of Mayor Koch, as our doormen. He sold 40 thousand pairs of shoes in two and a half days (the entire available production) and Kenneth Cole Productions was off and running. To this day the company is still named Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. and serves as a reminder to the importance of resourcefulness and innovative problem solving.
Kenneth Cole’s sleek lines define modern fashion and his forward-thinking attitude epitomizes the urban spirit. Knowing that the clothes will sell on their own merit, he uses advertising to focus on social issues, and is recognized worldwide as a leader in the fight against AIDS. His innovative style has helped him to create an aesthetic and an attitude that people can realistically aspire to, proclaiming, "To be aware is more important than what you wear." Fast becoming one of the leading names in contemporary fashion, Kenneth Cole continues to create shoes, clothes, bags, and luggage that are in step with modern lifestyles. In his own words "A brand today is much more than status. Consumers have to be able to trust it".
Two separately marketed brands are available, Kennth Cole New York shoes, and Kenneth Cole Reaction shoes.
