Footnotes: What You Stand for is More Important Than What You Stand In

The CEO of Kenneth Cole Productions discusses the inspiration behind his groundbreaking advertising campaign, citing the people and events that enabled him to grow his company into an international, billion-dollar empire. 50,000 first printing.

Many city-dwelling Americans know Kenneth Cole better for his ubiquitous, pun-loving and often corny ads (they boast taglines like "You can change an outfit. You can outfit change. Or both." and "You are on a video camera an average of 10 times a day. Are you dressed for it?") than for the hip, metropolitan footwear he designs. For 20 years, the entrepreneur has been combining his ads with messages about AIDS advocacy, voter registration and homelessness. In this slim, heavily illustrated biography of his company and its ad campaigns, Cole explains his capitalist beginnings and some of his business's trials and tribulations. He acknowledges how tough the fashion business is, but also tells why he loves it: "it often rewards my quest to do what feels right."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

It is the year of biographies--and autobiographies--for fashion celebrities. Ralph Lauren was the victim of two. Calvin Klein, the subject of a recent print scrutiny.^B Now Kenneth Cole, head of the eponymous company producing shoes, accessories, and clothes, takes pen in hand (and with the help of coauthor Jacob) before anyone else has the idea--and writes a surprisingly intriguing story of the business, with subtle subplots about his marriage to former New York governor Mario Cuomo's daughter, his family, and friends. Scads of ads, billboards, and clips from runway videos spruce up the text, paying homage to Cole's not-inconsiderable punny wit. Aligned for years with social causes like AIDS and homelessness, the author is convincing in his passion for cause-related marketing and in the monetary support given to such issues. Footnotes throughout reveals a generous personality, and the writing, an incredible sense of self-humor. Barbara Jacobs
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