Over twenty years ago, Kenneth Cole's creativity and resourcefulness was at an all time high. His original plan to open a shoe company with very little money turned into a full on production company. Instead of opening a small company selling shoes at a room at the Hilton, he enlisted the help of a friend working for a trucking business to set up shop in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The only way to get approval from the city for a parking permit was to create a film production company, thus, Kenneth Cole Inc. changed its name to Kenneth Cole Productions. He applied for a permit to film "The Birth of a Shoe Company." Opening across the street from the Hilton's shoe show, Kenneth Cole and his mock film company sold 40,000 pairs of shoes in two and half days. Kenneth Cole has expanded his apparel line to include everything from quality-made swimsuits to fashion-forward handbags to of course, comfortable shoes. It just goes to show with a lot of creativity and a brilliant idea, anything is possible. |