COLE, KENNETH

COLE, KENNETH (1954– ), U.S. footwear and clothing designer, entrepreneur, civic activist. Cole, president and chief executive officer of Kenneth Cole Productions, not only founded an international footwear and clothing business, but through his company's advertising, managed to raise social awareness of such issues as AIDS, homelessness, gun safety, and women's rights. Many of his ads carry the message: "To be aware is more important than what you wear." Born Kenneth Cohen, he was raised on Long Island and began working part time while still a teenager. He was a stock boy at a local shoe store and sold peanuts at two of New York City's most notable sports arenas, Shea Stadium and Madison Square Garden. After earning a B.A. from Emory University, Atlanta, Cole joined El Greco, his family's footwear business. Under the leadership of his father, Charles, the Brooklyn-based company produced the highly successful Candies shoes for women in the 1970s. In 1983, Cole left El Greco and launched Kenneth Cole Productions. It grew into a publicly owned corporation with more than 50 retail stores in the U.S.; distribution in Europe, Asia, and Latin America; licensees covering more than two dozen product categories for men and women; and more than a billion dollars in retail sales. Cole ran his first "awareness" ad in 1986. It depicted nine top models posing with children. The copy read: "For the future of our children … support the American Foundation for AIDS Research (Amfar). We do." In keeping with the non-commercial aspect of the ad, the models were barefoot. Cole, a director of Amfar since 1987, is also its vice chairman and director of creative services. His company also supports HELP USA, a major provider of housing, jobs, and services for the homeless. He is married to Maria Cuomo, the daughter of former New York governor Mario Cuomo. Cole, who has received numerous awards for his innovative advertising, was named humanitarian of the year by Divine Design (1996), the Council of Fashion Designers of America (1997), and the National Father's Day Committee (2002). He wrote about his company and its ad campaigns in Footnotes (2003). (Mort Sheinman (2nd ed.)