Founded in 1982 by Kenneth Cole, Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. is an American fashion house that designs men's and women's footwear, men's and women's clothing, and accessories under the Kenneth Cole Reaction Line.

Birth of a shoe company

When Kenneth Cole Wanted to show his line of shoes at Market Week at the New York Hilton, he was unable to afford a hotel room or showroom to display his items, with a burst of brilliance, Cole inquired about parking a trailer two blocks from the Hilton Hotel only to discover  that permits for trailers were only granted to utility and production companies, Cole immediatley changed the name of his company from Kenneth Cole Incorporated to Kenneth Cole Productions, and applied for a permit to film the full-length film, "The Birth of a Shoe Company". In two and a half days, Kenneth Cole Productions sold forty thousand pairs of shoes, while chronicling the beginning of the company on film.

Since then Kenneth Cole has become one of the world's leading brands known for its New – York chic.