How a Shoe Man Became a Show Man
“Over 35 Years ago, I wanted to start a shoe company. Although I had limited money, I knew it was all or nothing. With the FFANY (Fashion Footwear Association of New York) shoe show less than a month away, I decided to move quickly. I went to Europe, got credit from factories there, designed a shoe collection and soon after returned to the states to sell them.
At the time, a shoe company had two very expensive options. You could get a room at the Hilton Hotel and become 1 of about 1100 shoe companies or you could rent a fancy showroom in Midtown Manhattan. Either choice was not appealing and certainly not the image I wanted to portray for my first presentation to shoe buyers. And of course, the room rental fees were beyond my bank account. I decided to turn this liability into good fortune.
I had an idea. I called a friend in the trucking business and asked to borrow one of his trucks to park in Midtown Manhattan. He quickly assured me that I would never get permission to do so. I went to Mayor Ed Koch’s office and inquired about permission to park a 40-foot trailer truck in Midtown Manhattan. Mayor Koch immediately told me that the only people who can secure parking permits are production companies shooting full-length motion pictures or utility companies like Con Edison.
That day, I went to the nearest stationery store, changed our company letterhead from Kenneth Cole, Inc. to Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. and bought a video camera. The next day I applied for, and was granted, a permit to shoot a full-length film entitled ‘The Birth of a Shoe Company.’ On the day of the FFANY shoe show, the Kenneth Cole Productions truck parked at 1370 6th Avenue, across from the New York Hilton. We opened for business with a fully-furnished 40-foot trailer, a director, models as actresses, and two of New York’s finest, compliments of Mayor Koch, as our doormen. As if I was a veteran film director, I created an illusion that the truck was always busy and I only let in a few people at a time. Sometimes the camera was rolling, and sometimes it wasn’t. Sometimes the camera had film, and sometimes it didn’t. What I did know, however, is that I created the perception that the demand was greater than the supply. Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks, and Dillard’s all stopped by the Kenneth Cole Productions truck. In three and a half days we sold over 40,000 pairs of shoes.
To this day, the company is still named Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. and serves as a constant reminder of the importance of resourcefulness, creativity, and innovative problem solving.”
– Kenneth Cole
Kenneth Cole Celebrates the Brand’s 35th Anniversary
As the Kenneth Cole brand approaches its 35th anniversary, we are proud to announce this milestone by celebrating the brand’s voice as its greatest accessory. The anniversary will be celebrated through the following initiatives:
Re-tailored Capsule Collection
To recognize the brand’s anniversary, Kenneth has re-tailored a capsule* of the brand’s iconic pieces to create a limited-edition collection of modern classics. The collection is comprised of 6 heritage leather items: The Men’s Boot 84, The Women’s Riley Pump 83, The Moto 88, The Backpack 87, The Watch 96, and The Spinner luggage 99. Each piece has been named to include the year it was debuted in the brand’s collection. Knowing that our voice is still, and will always be, our greatest accessory, the collection is lined with our commemorative “Kennethism” signature print to celebrate Kenneth’s voice over the last 35 years, as well as an embossed patch and story patch.
*The collection will be available exclusively at Kenneth Cole’s Bond + Bowery store in NYC and online at KennethCole.com, with prices ranging from $149 – $425.

#35YEARSBOLD Voices
The brand has decided to use 35 years as a milestone to reflect on many of the extraordinary people who have inspired Kenneth Cole, the man and/or the brand, along the way. The social and digital campaign entitled, “35 Years Bold,” celebrates the many iconic, like-minded individuals who have touched the brand in some way. The responses will be featured as content on the brand’s social channels and website, as well as shared on many of their individual channels as well. The goal is to salute the causes that these individuals have championed and talk about the impact that has been made. As the brand has done for the last 35 years, it will be using its platform to share others’ voice.
Celebrated individuals include: Robert Redford, Cheyenne Jackson, Alan Cumming, Jason Derulo, Diane von Furstenberg, and more.

Voice Shop
Our brand relevancy comes from the product, the messaging, the conversation, the platform, the issues, and the man himself. We tell each story of the moment through compelling imagery and our progressive point-of-view. That point-of-view is “The Voice,” which is, and has always been, the voice of our founder, Kenneth Cole, and in turn, the brand. Another way to celebrate 35 years of the brand’s voice, is by launching “The Voice Shop” on KennethCole.com. The shop will launch with 12 t-shirts, each with a “Kennethism” that raises awareness for important social issues that are inherent to the brand. Some examples of t-shirts are: “STAND FOR SOMETHING OR STEP ASIDE,” “POWER TO THE EQUAL,” AND “DON’T JUDGE ME BY WHAT I WEAR.”
Following the launch in October, the shop will expand to include canvas totes and hats. Proceeds from the shop will go to the Kenneth Cole Foundation, which supports organizations within our core pillars of public health & civil liberties.

Event at Bond + Bowery
Kenneth Cole hosted an event at the brand’s flagship store on Bond & Bowery, in New York City. The event celebrated the brand’s 35 years by saluting all of the individuals who have touched the brand over the years.
The event highlighted certain Courageous Class members. For example, Mari Malek (Courageous Class Spring 2016) will be the DJ and Vic Mensa (Courageous Class Fall 2018) will be performing.
The event also had a live extension of The Voice Shop, allowing guests to customize canvas totes with a Kennethism of their choice.
The event was followed by an intimate dinner for the individuals that participated in the #35YearsBold initiative as well as Kenneth’s close family and friends.

In the Philippines, Kenneth Cole is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located at Alabang Town Center, B7 Bonifacio High Street, Power Plant Mall, Rustan’s Makati, SM Mall of Asia, and TriNoma. Visit facebook.com/KennethCole.Philippines or follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.