Born March 23, 1954 in Brooklyn New York, Kenneth Cole is a designer best known for his extensive lines of shoes. Though shoes are his biggest draw, his company Kenneth Cole Productions also produces collections of men's and women's clothing and accessories.
Shoes were in Cole's blood, as his father owned the El Greco shoe manufacturing company. He learned the shoe business from his father then went to study law at Emory University. He returned to New York to begin designing his own line of shoes in 1982.
Cole has an interesting story as to how he got started. Broke after spending all his money making shoes, he wanted to showcase his new line of footwear at New York's Market Week at the Hilton Hotel. Unable to afford a room for a showcase, Cole learned that he could buy a permit for a trailer outside of the hotel, but only if his company was of the utility or production variety. Thus, the name of the company changed from Kenneth Cole Incorporated to Kenneth Cole Productions, the name which still stands today.
With permit for "The Birth of a Shoe Company" in hand, Cole filmed the entire two and a half day run on the trailer, during which he sold a mind-boggling 40,000 pair of shoes.
Since that initial success, Cole has never looked back. Today, Kenneth Cole Productions houses such lines as Kenneth Cole Reaction, Unlisted, Kenneth Cole New York, Tribeca and licensee Bongo. The primary label features contemporary designs with an urban flair, such as chunky soled shoes along with jeans, sweaters, dresses and other clothing. In the Kenneth Cole Reaction and Kenneth Cole New York labels, you will find plenty of shoes, handbags, watches, jewelry and accessories.
In 1994 the company went public, though Cole still owns 45% of the stock. He is still the CEO and creative director, plus remains the head designer for his ready-to-wear collections. Considered one of the good guys in the fashion industry, Cole is also involved in a tremendous amount of charity work benefiting AIDS awareness, human rights and poverty.
