Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. is an American brand founded by New York-born designer Kenneth Cole in 1982.
Originally founded as a shoe company, the company changed its name from Kenneth Cole Inc. to Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. when it couldn't afford hotel or showroom space to debut its shoe collection at Market Week, but learned that it could park a trailer outside the hotel if it had a film company permit. The name was immediately changed, the permit to film was granted, and the company launched and simultaneously documented its own launching in a feature film titled, "The Birth of a Shoe Company." The company still retains the name Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. "as a reminder to the importance of resourcefulness and innovative problem solving." (from the corporate website)
The shoe company's launch was a success, and the company expanded over the years from men's and women's shoes to to include men's and women's clothing. A line of accessories is also sold under the Kenneth Cole Reaction label. OKenneth Cole Productions, Inc. sells clothing and accessories under the following lines: Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, Gentle Souls (a comfort shoe line for women), Unlisted and Tribeca.
Kenneth Cole offers fragrances in collaboration with Coty. The first scents, Kenneth Cole for Men and Kenneth Cole for Women, were launched in 2002. Fragrances are offered under the Kenneth Cole, New York and the Reaction labels.
