There is certainly truth to the old cliché, “you can do well by doing good”. For Kenneth Cole “doing good” has meant being on the frontline of fashion trends and AIDS awareness. As a renowned American designer and humanitarian, Kenneth Cole believes that “it is great to be known for your shoes. It is even better to be recognized for your soul.”

A business that began 25 years ago out of the back of a 40 foot trailer, Kenneth Cole Productions has risen to the top of American fashion at lightning speed and set the standards for others to meet. With nearly 100 Kenneth Cole domestic retail stores and 52 internationally, Kenneth Cole has been able to unite his fashion instincts and business acumen with his philanthropic convictions. As Chairman to The American Foundation for Aids Research (amfAR), and a board member to the homeless organization HELP USA, Kenneth Cole has made it his business to fuse fashion with social action. Kenneth is also a board member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and The Sundance Institute and serves on The Board of Trustees for Emory University.

Kenneth Cole grew up in Long Island, New York where he spent his free time as a stock boy at the local shoe store or selling peanuts at Shea Stadium and Madison Square Garden. A strong work-ethic and determination motivated Kenneth to eventually join his family’s shoe business in Brooklyn. In the early seventies they launched the world-renowned Candies shoes—a brand that became a household name during the disco era. In 1982, Kenneth left behind the world of wood-heeled stilettos and chunky platforms to start Kenneth Cole Productions.

Kenneth Cole Productions is one of the most widely revered and consistently focused fashion houses with retail sales in excess of one and a half billion dollars. The company has five lifestyle brands: Kenneth Cole New York for the sophisticated, urban man and woman, Reaction Kenneth Cole geared towards a hip, more casual customer and both Tribeca and Unlisted shoes and accessories for the younger and trendier teen. In addition, the Gentle Souls brand is for the customer who wants a natural way to combine fashion, comfort and care for their feet. Currently, there are 21 licensees that cover 71 dual gender and multi-brand product categories. With 26 product categories from swimwear to kidswear to fragrance, Kenneth Cole Productions is a full lifestyle, dual gender brand. Kenneth goes far beyond lending his name to a line of clothing and accessories. He is the ultimate driving force behind all the brands and the company’s creative director in all areas from design to marketing.

Sometimes politically ironic and irreverent but always socially conscious and relevant– Kenneth Cole’s advertising has touched on everything from gun control and cloning to abortion and AIDS. He believes that “To be aware is more important than what you wear.” Many people recognize the famous, “Regardless of the right to bear arms, we in no way condone the right to bare feet” while others celebrate the timely, “Not Voting Is So Last Season.” Whatever the slogan and whatever the issue, Kenneth Cole continues to abide by two mantras: “ What we stand for is more important that what we stand in” and “ We may not heel the world, but we hope to be an accessory.”

Kenneth resides in Westchester, New York with his wife Maria Cuomo Cole and their three daughters. He likes to fish and he’s also a 15 handicap in golf.

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