Kenneth Cole: Timeless Provocateur

Forbes

4 hours ago

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 28: Kenneth Cole attends the 2024 CFDA Awards at American Museum of ... More Natural History on October 28, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage)
Everything Kenneth Cole does is intentional. Since 1982, Kenneth Cole has personified his tagline 'Always on Purpose' and has become synonymous with timeless style and edgy social awareness campaigns. He's considered the first designer to publicly support AIDS (when it was taboo to do so) and to implement corporate social responsibility before it was a chic, common practice.
A neon sign reading 'WHAT MOVES YOU?'—in all caps—hangs in Kenneth Cole's office and appears behind him in several scenes from the new documentary A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole, directed by Dori Bernstein and the film aims to help us understand what motivates its central figure and why.
In the film, the legendary Alan Cumming calls the designer a 'Punmeister' - a skill Cole displayed masterfully on the Tribeca X stage when asked by his brother-in-law Chris Cuomo about tariffs and how they affect business, Cole replied, 'People are Tarrified!'
More Than A Tagline
Cole is also a copy-master rooted in witty campaigns that make his customers think, not just buy. 'What you stand for is more important than what we stand in' one of his famed taglines is a life mantra, not a sales pitch. And when asked for advertising advice after a recent screening of the aforementioned film he said 'It's not what you do, but how you do it; and it's not what you say, but how you say it.'
Kenneth Cole has never been afraid to be controversial for non-commecial campaigns that provoke public consciousness. The film explores many examples like the 'We all have AIDS' campaign: 'We're all affected even if we're not infected.'
In another groundbreaking Kenneth Cole campaign for AIDS prevention, a lone, clear, and unlabeled condom is photographed in black and white with the words: 'Shoes aren't the only thing we encourage you to wear.' This statement rocked the world at a time when advertising condoms simply wasn't allowed.
Cole's socially-focused ads for AIDS Awareness reached 1 billion people before the advent of social media. When asked how social media has changed things. He said:
'I think today you have a lot more people trying to do what you're doing, and it's so much easier to reach them, so you just have to break through the noise. And if you can do it, you can, essentially, reach everybody everywhere in days.'
To take back his full creative vision and freedom—and for greater efficiency (he admits that answering to boards and shareholders was time-consuming)—he bought back his once publicly traded company in 2012 for reportedly a little more than $15 a share. At the time, the company was said to be worth $280 million and now more than 10 years later, is said to have a $1 billion valuation.
In his more than 30 years working with amfAR, 14 years as chairman, he was able to get AIDS research out of silos and unite the 2000+ AIDS orgs 'so they were no longer tripping over each other.' Similarly, his work as founder and chairman with the Mental Health Coalition is also helping organizations to talk to each other and work together.
In the '90s, to tackle homelessness, Kenneth Cole stores started a shoe drive; giving customers a 20% discount to anyone that brought shoes into the store for donation. This resulted in a whopping two million pairs of shoes donated.
Kenneth Cole doesn't see fighting for homelessness, AIDS, LGBTQ communities, women, or gun control, or mental health, as political but a social and moral imperative and a deeper way to engage with the public.
In fact, I first met the evergreen designer and his equally civically-minded wife, Maria Cuomo, at an early screening of a film they co-produced. The film follows the survivors of the deadliest school shooting in history, the Parkland School. He says it was 'Maria's baby', but the poetry-laden and trauma-filled short film Death By Numbers was nominated for an Oscar this year. While it may have been helmed by Maria, the themes of the film are certainly aligned with Kenneth's stance on gun control.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 05: Kenneth Cole and Maria Cuomo Cole attend the 2017 CFDA Fashion Awards at ... More Hammerstein Ballroom on June 5, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by)
Brand Longevity
Longevity in an industry as fleeting as fashion, such as Kenneth Cole, does not happen without brand trust. He's come a long way from the day he parked his truck full of shoes from Italy to sell; and now that he's decades established, he shared how things have evolved from the early truck days:
'I still don't take anything for granted every day, I know I have to figure it out and even after 40 some-odd years, every day to exist in this business, right? I do think that I have earned the right only to be considered, but every day after… that is unique in every part in this business. So I have a little bit of an advantage, but I've got to work and that's what also makes it so exciting. I have to be relevant. And being relevant is the ultimate filter. We have to be agile so that we can continue to stay relevant.
How you will create a relationship with the consumer. How do you make it as meaningful as you can, genuine, meaningful, and consistent? That's a task that we contemplate all the time, what's meaningful today may be less so tomorrow, and it's meaningful in New York, maybe less so in Des Moines. And so how do you how do you tell your story? We stand for what's in the body, what's on the mind. How do we connect with you in a more sustainable, efficient way, and how do we connect the dots? I feel privileged to be able to continue to deliver, and it's something we deal with every day.'
The Man Himself
Kenneth Cole as a brand has become its own grandiose entity, and so to meet the human man, behind all the brilliance, was jarring at first. Especially when the man himself was so unassuming and humble. Most famous people cannot walk down the street without being stopped. Kenneth's brand and name is bigger and more recognizable than his face that it gives him more freedom than most. He says:
'I'm very conscious about separating the man from the brand, and the brand is definitely bigger than the man. They're not always associated with each other. One, I can walk down the street more often than not having my own privacy, but I can also get a reservation at most restaurants.'
The Future
Beyond storytelling and a long history of philanthropy, I believe Kenneth Cole and his labels endure because they are not swayed by trends, fads, or what's momentarily popular. They design clothes, shoes, and accessories that are wardrobe staples—pieces that would still look stylish and elegant 50 years from now. At the same time, the brand remains open to exploring the next frontier.
When I asked Cole his thoughts about fashion for people with disabilities, a population that as I have shared before, many do not realize desperately need access to clothing especially professional wear or shoes,—I expected a philosophical response about the broader concept. Instead, his reply was strikingly honest and action-oriented, reflecting just how committed he is to making an impact.
'I have a lot to learn. I have a personal disability myself which I disclose for the first time in this film. I don't know how I can bring value to that market right now. I don't know what it would take, so it can be sustainable. Can you do it at a cost that's realistic, and can you do it in a way that's meaningful?'
These are all valid questions and while one's first impression meeting Kenneth Cole is that he's laid-back, humble, and fun; when it comes to important things, he's very serious and strategic with regard to impact. This is why the title of the film about him feels just.
A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole Official Film Poster
Looking Back and Forward
What was it like for him to reflect back on his history and philanthropy? He says he was too busy taking action to reflect in the moment, but that seeing the film retrospective through his family's eyes was touching:
'They've seen it all come full-circle what made it special for me, the film I don't need to tell my family, that I lived amfAR for almost 30 years, 14 years as chair; but I don't think anybody realized the impact that we made there.'
But his impact does not stop with AmFAR or the many accomplishments detailed in the must-see film about his influence. He is still fighting an epidemic that too many don't speak about publicly and few address head on: mental health.
'I'm very immersed in the Mental Health Coalition. I completely believe we can change lives. We can get rid of the devastating stigma…you know, WHO says one in four people are affected. We say support for us, visiting you with somebody you love exactly, the family or the community to work with, but everybody is impacted by this, and stigma is what makes it so paralyzing, and because two thirds of those who are impacted do so in shadows, because they're afraid, they don't know a path forward to help them navigate.'
And what has Cole learned since founding the Mental Health Coalition almost 5 years ago? He says, he's learned a lot:
'I am humbled to have been able to bring together some of the most respected experts in the mental health field and some of the most influential creative leaders to join forces to end the stigma surrounding mental health and to change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness. There have been challenges but it has been so inspiring to see so many organizations and leaders work together to build something that is greater than the sum of our parts.'
Working 33 years with amfAR, he helped the organization to raise $120 million.
He fought to break down silos and eliminate duplicative AIDS research by encouraging scientists to share data publicly. He applied a similar approach to mental health through his work with the Mental Health Coalition. Just as he once argued that AIDS affects everyone, he now emphasizes that mental health does too. A portion of the sale from every Kenneth Cole product goes to the Mental Health Coalition. So far, the coalition has launched programs such as SOS (for kids' online safety), Teenspace, and Wellness at Work.
Vision, Vulnerability, and Lessons Learned
With so many initiatives and his responsibilities, how does Kenneth Cole see leadership?
He takes a service-oriented approach sharing:
'Leadership is about standing for something greater than yourself. It's about using your platform—whether it's a company, a brand, or your voice—to spark conversation, and to do what's right, even when it's not easy. For over 40 years, I have tried to create a culture where purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive, where every decision reflects our values. I encourage my team to think differently, to take risks, and to see challenges as opportunities to make a difference. My goal has been to create a place where cause and commerce can not only coexist but can intersect in a meaningful way.'
Mentioned toward the end of the film, but not expounded upon, Kenneth disclosed his FSHD diagnosis - a form of muscular dystrophy. I asked him how FSHD had changed his perspective or lifestyle in any way, and what he has learned from the experience.
Cole shared: 'I think it has helped me understand what it's like dealing with things you can't control. I have realized that you can make a difference, if you set out to make a difference, and I have found strength in being vulnerable.'
Until you meet him or see him on screen, it can be hard to believe that the man behind an Oz-like curtain is, in fact, a real person. This makes vulnerability from him especially powerful. We need more vulnerability in the world and we need more Kenneth Coles - though there's certainly only one. He shows us how one man with a clear vision can instigate seismic positive change.
He may be unassuming, but there's nothing passive about Kenneth Cole. A purpose-driven life seems to be what truly moves him; the only thing perhaps more enduring than his sought-after style is his proactive, soul-powered integrity—timeless, tireless, and always at work.
A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole is now playing in Los Angeles at the Landmark Nuart Theatre with more markets nationwide to follow.