Kenneth Cole (designer)

Kenneth Cole (b. March 23, 1954) is an American clothing, perfume and cologne designer. Born in New York City, to Charlie Cole. In 1982, Kenneth Cole got his start by selling shoes out of the back of a 40-foot trailer in Midtown Manhattan. At that time, the only people who could get parking permits from the city were utility companies or production companies shooting full-length films. Kenneth Cole therefore changed his company name from Kenneth Cole, Inc. to Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc., and applied for a permit to shoot a film called "The Birth of a Shoe Company." Parked across from the New York Hilton, they sold 40,000 pairs of shoes in just two and a half days. To this day, the company's official name is still Kenneth Cole Productions in honor of their unusual beginning.

Personal life

Kenneth resides in Purchase, New York, with wife Maria Cuomo Cole (daughter of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and sister of current New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo) and their three daughters. One of his daughters, Amanda, is the host of Mets Kids Clubhouse for Sportsnet New York.