If you’ve walked by any Kenneth Cole store recently, you’ll notice in the windows large decals with the hashtag, #30YRSBOLD. That’s right, friends the brand is celebrating their 30 years of existence. And what better way to document the three decades then with a book.
Last week, I joined Kenneth Cole for a cup of extremely fancy coffee — an artist actually drew a picture of John Lennon in mine, using the foam (crazy, right?). Mr. Cole got his own version, only this time featuring his face in the cup to celebrate the release of his new coffee-table book, THIS IS A KENNETH COLE PRODUCTION, chronicling his 30 years in fashion, business and social engagement.
“I swore I would never write another book”, however given the stage of his career and the journey his messages have taken us on, and how many of these social issues from throughout the decades have not really changed, it seemed warranted. While my conversation with him was brief, it made quite a lasting impression. His commitment to people and change is something to be admired. Even how present he is and how intently he listens while in a conversation is a gift – he has the acute ability to drown out all the background noise and make you feel like you’re the only two people in a room.
The book is solid! All black bound the pages feature most of his advertisements throughout the decades. There’s an augmented reality portion which features behind the scenes content. Consumers can scan a sticker on the book cover to download Junaio, a free mobile app, which will launch an image and personal message from the designer. In addition to the cover, select pages throughout the book have also been activated with augmented reality giving readers special access to insider video content about the designer and his company.
Learn more about THIS IS A KENNETH COLE PRODUCTION ($75) at kennethcole.com
{Disclaimer: I was gifted a book by Kenneth Cole}