Kenneth Cole News


Kenneth Cole

Shop smart and save money

CNN - Found 5 hours ago
Companies like Club Monaco, Kenneth Cole, J.Crew, and Banana Republic offer sales throughout the year for customers whose friends or family...

Posted on December 1, 2008, 8:23 am

Pants That Work for Work

AOL Style Blog - Found 16 hours ago
... it here Michael Kors Lastly, for anyone with a post-baby body or who's filling out a little after 30, Kenneth Cole is a spot on designer for...

Posted on December 1, 2008, 9:01 am

Fifteen Black Friday Bargains

Forbes.com - Found Nov. 27, 2008
... will offer discounts from 30-70% off on a variety of items, from Anne Klein party dresses to Kenneth Cole (nyse: KCP - news - people ) casual...

Posted on November 27, 2008, 4:11 am

Designer admits he has language problem

CNN - Found Nov. 24, 2008
Kenneth Cole: The message is that these are extraordinary times. They're transformative in so many ways.

Posted on November 24, 2008, 6:55 am

VolunteerMatch And Kenneth Cole Partner To Encourage Service And ...

Sustainable Business - Found Nov. 23, 2008
About Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc.

Posted on November 23, 2008, 11:45 am

Emory University hosting World AIDS Quilt

Ledger-Enquirer - Found 15 hours ago
The opening ceremony will feature a talk by fashion designer Kenneth Cole, who graduated from Emory. Cole is chairman of amfAR, the world's...
Prayers For World AIDS Day - MSNBC
Local Groups Celebrating World AIDS Day - MSNBC
S. Africa ends decade of denial on AIDS - CNN
U2 and Coldplay back Aids mag - BBC
Explore All

BBC

Posted on December 1, 2008, 10:22 am

Calvin Klein Collection Unveils 2008 Holiday Windows

Forbes.com - Found 17 hours ago
... and its licensed brands, including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, unlisted, A Kenneth Cole Production, BCBG...
Calvin Klein Collection Unveils 2008 Holiday Windows - PR inside
Calvin Klein Collection Unveils 2008 Holiday Windows - Yahoo! Canada
Look Closer - FashionWeekDaily.com
Calvin Klein Collection Unveils 2008 Holiday Windows - Business Wire via Yahoo!
Explore All

Posted on December 1, 2008, 8:33 am

Cross-border bargain hunt

Toronto Star Online - Found Nov. 29, 2008
A recent makeover has added some higher-end products like Burberry's, Cole Haan and Kenneth Cole.

Posted on November 29, 2008, 3:41 am

Oh What a Night: The Glitz and Glamour of Dallas Black Tie Dinner

EdgeBoston.com - Found Nov. 29, 2008
VIP receptions prior to the actual event, which meant getting to meet fashion designer and activist Kenneth Cole (the keynote speaker for the...

Posted on November 29, 2008, 6:53 am

Black Friday blog

Chicago Tribune - Found Nov. 28, 2008
... of the store and check out the deal for five $20 gift cards for $79.99. And there are loads of Kenneth Cole down vests for $19.99 -- Sandra M...

Posted on November 28, 2008, 3:45 am

Kenneth Cole Biography

Kenneth Cole
extracted from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, distributed under the GNU Free Documentation License

Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. is an American fashion house founded in 1982 by Kenneth Cole. Born in Brooklyn, Cole is a graduate of Emory University. He originally named the company Kenneth Cole Incorporated in September 1982 and planned to showcase his new line of shoes during market week at the Hilton Hotel in New York. Finding that he could not afford to purchase a hotel room or showroom to exhibit his line, he borrowed a truck and asked the mayor’s office for permission to park two blocks away from the Hilton Hotel in front of a fancy shoe building. Upon learning that permits were only granted to utility companies and production companies shooting full-length motion pictures, Cole changed the name of the company to Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. and applied for a permit to shoot a full-length motion picture entitled “The Birth of a Shoe Company”.

With Kenneth Cole Productions painted on the side of the truck, they opened for business on December 2, 1982, in front of 1370 Avenue of the Americas. They had a fully furnished forty-foot trailer, klieg lights, a director, a rolling camera, models as actresses, and two NYPD policemen as doormen. A velvet rope allowed a limited number of people in the trailers and in two and a half days they sold forty thousand pairs of shoes. The company remains Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. to this day to honor this unusual beginning. 1

In 1985, Kenneth Cole opened his first store on Columbus Avenue in Manhattan, followed shortly thereafter by another store on Union Street in San Francisco. Kenneth Cole retail and Company Stores can now be found worldwide in countries such as Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Israel, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and South Africa.

Contents

Lines

Kenneth Cole currently opeartes 3 separate clothing and accessories lines with different price points 2 and 1 shoes-only lines:

  • Kenneth Cole New York ($60 to $795)
    • The original and most expensive line consists of fashion and accessories for men and women, watches & fragrances.
  • Kenneth Cole Reaction ($35 to $395)
    • Introduced in 1996 as a more casual, less expensive component to Kenneth Cole New York.3
    • The secondary line for more affordable products consists of fashion and accessories for men and women.
  • Kenneth Cole Unlisted ($25 to $80)
    • The tertiary and cheapest line consists of handbags and clothing for men and women.
  • Tribeca ($50 to $70) 4

Advertising

Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. is well known for its socially conscious and often controversial advertising. Campaigns often incorporate topical issues, such as addressing Imelda Marcos’ shoe fetish in 1986 with the line, “Imelda Marcos bought 2,700 pairs of shoes. She could’ve at least had the courtesy to buy a pair of ours.” In 1994, the company ran its first partisan political ad for the New York state gubernatorial race featuring George Pataki and Mario Cuomo, Cole’s father-in-law. The ad was an image of a muddy boot with the words: “Next time you hear George Pataki speak, might we suggest the appropriate footwear.” George Pataki did end up becoming governor and Cole received some backlash for his decision to run the ad.

Not all of their ads are as overtly political, but most have a humorous tint to them, often incorporating word plays or puns. Some of his better-known lines include: “What you stand for is more important than what you stand in,” “Are you putting us on?” and “Today is not a dress rehearsal.” Popular topics in his advertising include HIV/AIDS, homelessness, gun control, abortion, the environment and same-sex marriage.

The current advertising campaign uses the tagline “We need more than a surface mentality. The writing is on the wall.”

Charity And Social Causes

Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. is active in charities and often uses advertising, publicity and other corporate initiatives to support charitable causes. Cole’s advocacy for AIDS awareness and research has made the fashion house a legend in philanthropic circles. He is a longtime board member and current Chairman of the Board for The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). His involvement with amfAR began in 1985 when he organized a public service campaign that was photographed by Annie Leibovitz and featuring high-profile models such as Christie Brinkley, Paulina Porizkova and Andie MacDowell. The tagline was, “For the future of our children. Support the American Foundation for AIDS Research. We do.” At the time, AIDS was still a relatively unknown and misunderstood disease. Cole managed to procure nearly 3 million dollars worth of donated exposure and press. In 1987, he was invited to join amfAR’s board.

In 2005, Cole spearheaded the “We All Have AIDS” awareness campaign with advertisements photographed by Mark Seliger and featuring such luminaries as Nelson Mandela, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Elton John, Sharon Stone, Richard Gere, Elizabeth Taylor, Alicia Keys, Desmond Tutu, Natasha Richardson, Eric McCormack, Ashley Judd, Whoopi Goldberg, Harry Belafonte, Greg Louganis and Rosie O’Donnell. He also has annual World AIDS Day promotions in his retail stores.

In August 2006, it was announced that Kenneth Cole Productions would stop selling fur in all of their garments for the Fall 2007 Fashion Season 5.

Cole is also very active with HELP USA (his wife Maria Cuomo Cole is currently Chair of the Board), a non-profit organization that is the nation’s largest provider of housing, jobs and services for the homeless. Recently, he partnered with rock star Jon Bon Jovi to create a line of jackets, t-shirts and fragrance under the Kenneth Cole New York label. The proceeds from the sale of these items supported HELP USA. Other charity campaigns include establishing relief funds for victims of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina respectively through the sale of t-shirts, giving discounts at his retail stores for donating shoes or clothes to the homeless and hosting numerous charity shopping nights at retail stores throughout the nation.6

References

  1. ^ Cole, Kenneth. "The Birth of a Shoe Company." Kennethcole.com (accessed Nov. 18, 2008).
  2. ^ Espinoza, Galina & Clehane, Diane: "Style and Substance", page 97. People Magazine 58(15), 2002.
  3. ^ Reaction Of Attraction
  4. ^ Plunkett, Jack W.: "Kenneth Cole Productions Inc.", page 416. Plunkett's Retail Industry Almanac 2008:Retail Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends and Leading Companies, 2007.
  5. ^ (2006)"Kenneth Cole Gives the Boot to Cruelty, Pledges to Go Fur-Free"18 August 2006. Accessed online 26 March 2008
  6. ^ Kenneth Cole Charity. "Kenneth Cole Awearness." Kennethcole.com (accessed Aug. 20, 2007).

External links

Kenneth Cole Videos and Clips

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Kenneth Cole video Photographer: Terry Richardson
Models: Matt Loewen, Alexandra Richards clip
Title: Kenneth Cole Reaction
Description: Photographer: Terry Richardson Models: Matt Loewen, Alexandra Richards
Kenneth Cole video http://www.mrsikhnet.com   Kenneth Cole celebrating the non uniform thinkers who have the courage to truly be who they are. Featuring Sonny ... clip
Title: Sonny Caberwal We all Walk in Different Shoes
Description: http://www.mrsikhnet.com Kenneth Cole celebrating the non uniform thinkers who have the courage to truly be who they are. Featuring Sonny ...
Kenneth Cole video Kenneth Cole Productions (KCP)    07 Video Annual Report
google finance clip
Title: Kenneth Cole Productions (KCP) 07 Video Annual Report
Description: Kenneth Cole Productions (KCP) 07 Video Annual Report google finance
Kenneth Cole video On Wednesday, March 8, Collective Soul, famous for its 90s hits "Shine" and "The World I Know" among others, played a special charity/private ... clip
Title: COLLECTIVE SOUL IS COLLECTIVE SOLE FOR KENNETH COLE
Description: On Wednesday, March 8, Collective Soul, famous for its 90s hits "Shine" and "The World I Know" among others, played a special charity/private ...
Kenneth Cole video American brand name shoe designer Kenneth Cole has started a new ad campaign with the theme "we all walk in different shoes", featuring matisyahu ... clip
Title: Matisyahu Kenneth Cole Commercial
Description: American brand name shoe designer Kenneth Cole has started a new ad campaign with the theme "we all walk in different shoes", featuring matisyahu ...
Kenneth Cole video Designer Kenneth Cole tells Ceslie Armstrong his advice for how all women can look and feel better. clip
Title: CESLIE TV: Kenneth Cole Interview
Description: Designer Kenneth Cole tells Ceslie Armstrong his advice for how all women can look and feel better.
Kenneth Cole video We talk with Kenneth Cole backstage at his show during New York Fashion Week clip
Title: Kenneth Cole Interview
Description: We talk with Kenneth Cole backstage at his show during New York Fashion Week
Kenneth Cole video This is a review of Black by Kenneth Cole cologne
Rate this video or find more video product reviews in the Beauty or Mens Grooming categories ... clip
Title: Black By Kenneth Cole cologne User Review
Description: This is a review of Black by Kenneth Cole cologne Rate this video or find more video product reviews in the Beauty or Mens Grooming categories ...