The first and definitive book on the fashion of Kenneth Cole and his thirty-year career in fashion and social activism. His advertising campaigns are ubiquitous, and his footwear and fashion design capture New York urban style. Kenneth Cole jump-started his business in fashion in the most unorthodox of ways: he created a film set and pretended to make a film in order to gain access to New York Market Week. In two and a half days, Kenneth Cole Productions sold 40,000 pairs of shoes. Moments like this are par for the course when viewing Cole’s career, a truly original yet classic American success story. A Kenneth Cole Production looks at Cole’s world in fashion, from his earliest days learning the shoe business from his father to building his empire into a brand powerhouse; from creating sought-after shoes and bags to being credited with making basic black the ultimate go-to color for sleek and stylish city garb; and from the origins of his powerful ad campaigns to his vigilant social activism and his significant style and exciting pop-culture contributions to the fashion world.

100% of Kenneth Cole’s profits from this book will be donated to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.

Lisa Birnbach is best known for coauthoring the New York Times best-seller The Official Preppy Handbook. Diane von Furstenberg is an internationally acclaimed fashion designer. Mark Seliger is a celebrated portrait photographer. Joe Zee is an internationally acclaimed stylist and creative director of Elle. Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States. Robert Redford is an American actor, film director, and philanthropist.