Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Kenneth Cole Reaction Kids: A guaranteed reaction, every time!

When I used to think of Kenneth Cole Reaction, images of womens accessories were conjured up in my mind … sunglasses, handbags and — of course — dress shoes. Recently, however, that mental association was forever changed when we received several samples of Kenneth Cole Reaction Kids’ shoes from the company’s new spring/summer 2008 product line. Now when I think of Kenneth Cole Reaction I think not of how hip I would be in a new pair of Kenneth Cole shoes … I think of how hip my 4-year-old and 1-year-old look in theirs.

Nomanssandgreen No Mans Sand (shown at left; $40) is a great shoe for the warmer weather ahead; It’s got a rubber sole, textile lining and a leather and textile upper. The toddler version closes with Velcro straps, while the boy version is a traditional lace-up sneaker. The tongue on No Mans Sand can be pulled back really low, and the shoe itself splays open quite wide, which makes the process of putting this shoe on super easy. We tested the olive/cream version, and loved it. No Mans Sand gives you all the athletic capabilities of a tennis shoe, but in a dressed-up version that you can easily pull off if you’re taking your son to eat in any semi-formal setting this summer.

ChocolateWe tested two versions of Little Tike Sr., chocolate (shown at right; $45) and natural suede/navy canvas (shown at intro of review; $45). Both styles were a big hit in our house, if for no other reason our 4-year-old recently discovered the virtues of bumper bowling and to him these shoes scream ‘strike!’ Of course I can see the distinctions between Little Tike Sr. and your average public rental bowling shoe, but even I admit — the resemblance is there. Fortunately for Kenneth Cole Reaction, among the toddler set where we live bowling is all the rage!

Little Tike Sr. is a lace-up leather sneaker with a man-made, rugged sole. We found the ‘chocolate’ version to be quite versatile, looking as good with a pair of jeans as it did with cords or khakis. The natural suede/navy canvas version is ideal for a summer sneaker. The leather is supple and seems quite comfortable on Owen’s foot, helped along by an interior fabric lining, padded collar and footbed. All in all we found Little Tike Sr. to be a great sneaker, durable enough to handle whatever your outdoorsy boy can throw at it, but stylized enough to never look utilitarian in the process. And the variety of color combinations available make Little Tike Sr. a good choice no matter what season you’re buying for.

Stayaboat Stay-A-Boat (shown at left; $45) is quite possibly the sweetest boat shoe our Sam will ever wear in his lifetime — and he’s just 16-months-old. I don’t know how it can be topped … I love this shoe! We tested Stay-A-Boat in the light brown/natural canvas version, and its beautiful; The nubuck leather is a rich camel shade and the shoe is held together by contrast stitching. A classic! I wasn’t sure how Sam would do in a boat shoe but he motors around in them without any problem; He’s no doubt helped along by the pliant nubuck and the cushioned insole is much more flexible than I suspected it would be. Stay-A-Boat features a wide Velcro closure for easy on/off, which I love. Another great option for more formal occasions this summer.

Whatasky What a Sky Jr. (shown at right; $40) is a hip urban sneaker for your hipster-in-training. The cushioned footbed and mesh lining keep little feet feeling supported and dry, while a durable rubber outsole keeps your toddler from skidding on smooth surfaces. We tested the navy/white version of What a Sky, and the smooth leather and suede upper is definitely a sleek and sophisticated alternative to your garden variety sneaker. Our only disappointment would be how easily the white does show dirt — but, really, aren’t a toddler’s sneakers supposed to be a little dirty?

At a time when many children’s shoe manufacturers seem to be catering to little girls, producing twice as many styles each season for girls than they do for boys, I’m so happy we discovered Kenneth Cole Reaction for our sons. They offer us a wide variety of shoes to choose from — from dress shoes to sneakers to even boat shoes — at a price we can live with. If you’re looking for stylish shoes for your little guy this spring and summer that can transition effortlessly from the playground to a party, Kenneth Cole Reaction makes a great choice.

Kenneth Cole Shoes for Women

If you are looking for best Kenneth Cole shoes for women on sale with elegant and versatile style you should consider Kenneth Cole REACTION Women’s More for Me Mary Jane Flat as first choice to buy. Yes, they are nice and fashionable as well as getting compliments from many women. Kenneth Cole shoes are known as best designer shoes with an extensive line of designs.

These Kenneth Cole shoes for women come with metallic leather with jeweled chain strap and color silver. You will be comfortable to wear it. They won’t leave a mark or scratch because the material is designed with comfortable distressed leather including their padded insole and low heel those are designed to add to your stride. You will love walking with these shoes every day or wearing them in both formal and casual situation.

How about the price of these Kenneth Cole shoes for women? Kenneth Cole REACTION Women’s shoes suit to women with low budget but want great taste of shoes design. You will get great price for about $29.99 if you buy these beautiful shoes at Amazon.com.

These Kenneth Cole shoes for women will refine your style for formal and casual uses. They are also so friendly to your feet.

Iconic shoe designer Kenneth Cole puts his foot in it on Twitter

New York-based fashion designer Kenneth Cole, famous for his men’s collection of bags and shoes, got it wildly wrong this week with a tweet that was the height of bad taste.

Reaction was instant and scathing across Twitter. Particularly in light of the fact that tweets signed “KC” indicate that they are from the man himself, and not some intern with a dodgy sense of humour.

People began posting mocking tweets pretending to promote Cole clothing or stores with light-hearted references to hurricane-induced flooding in New Orleans and the attack that destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City.

Cole seemed to realise he’d stepped into a firestorm and quickly followed up with a tweet which read: “Re Egypt tweet: we weren’t intending to make light of a serious situation. We understand the sensitivity of this historic moment -KC”

Except, of course, making light of a serious situation was exactly what he was doing.

Much of the reaction centered on the fact that Cole does like to court controversy and feels that it’s a good way to grab attention. But, in this case, judging from the follow-up tweet, it seems he realises he went too far, particularly as the situation in Egypt is still unfolding.

In an age when marketing takes place instantly and perceptions of a brand can be built and destroyed in seconds, it makes sense for people without a grasp of a situation not to get involved and chime in with their opinions on it.

Or as Advertising Age put it so succinctly, “just because you have an opinion on everything doesn’t mean you should be sharing it”.

Kenneth Cole on Idiots

Kenneth Cole doesn’t just want to sell you stuff. He would like to change the world too. This isn’t news exactly. It’s been somewhat of a sales/publicity mantra of his for years. Recently though, he explained himself in an internet video, laying out his feelings to those that might be interested, explaining that he wanted to make what he does “as meaningful as I can, to truly connect with people” while also using his “brand platform to raise awareness about important social issues – to remind people that it’s not just what they look like on the outside but who they are on the inside.” Sort of admirable, don’t you think? I mean, it’s one thing to buy a pair of shoes or a belt because it makes you feel cool but imagine if you could also feel morally infused by the self-same purchase as well?

The idea that a purchaser can feel morally uplifted (or even superior) when parting with their cash isn’t exactly new. It’s a proven technique that has been employed to sell everything from electric cars to bottled water (back when bottled water was an eco-requirement versus the dirty, dirty eco-sin it has since become today). What you buy is no longer as important as being able to flaunt your social scruples. Never before did hitting the limit on your credit card make you feel so fulfilled.

Now, I could take the cynical approach and accuse Kenneth Cole of faking this “social conscience” thing so he can sell more suits and watches but I actually do think it is important to him that he can sleep at night. That he is doing so on impeccable matched sheets that boast a minimum thread count of 7000 is beside the point. Kenneth is trying. I believe that.

In reality though, many of his attempts at consciousness-raising have fallen somewhat flat, and actually tick a lot of folks off. Thus far, Kenneth Cole Inc. has managed to trivialize the recent Egyptian uproar, abortion, and, well most everything else he spotlights as well. Still, personal tin-ear aside, Mr. Cole is making an effort. He clearly tells us how he sees the world around him. What’s less clear, however, is what he really thinks about the rest of us. At least less clear until now.
Videos
Kenneth Cole Reaction Connected - Stop Humping - Connecting 101

Kenneth Cole is pushing one of his colognes – something called “Connected” - and running a couple of ads to do so. Inadvertently, good Kenneth has shown his hand on how he actually feels about the rest of us. One ad, called stop humping, features a far-too-serious moron dancing all by himself in a club. Dude is really putting on the moves, Jackson-style, in an attempt to showcase himself in hopes of attracting a lady or two (or even four – like belts, can you really ever have too many?) Anyway, some unsuspecting lass dances on up and creepy dancer proceeds to grind and air-hump on her like some kind of bull mastiff in heat. The woman, turned off, quickly steps away while moron-man goes back to his masturbatory self-dance of look-at-me. Suddenly, a shock of long blond hair confronts him saying “Dude, what is the matter with you?” It’s not a woman though, just a bearded wise-man sporting a blond wig determined to bring our self-involved twit back to earth. He continues. “You’re trying to dance with her, not get her pregnant. Give her some space, and knock it off with the humping, okay?” At this, our undercover brother then spritzes Kenneth’s new scent on our suddenly informed young man who breathes in the mist of maturity, just in time for the return of the previously repelled young lady. They then dance together – in-sync, thanks to the sage-like wisdom (and scent) of Mr. Kenneth Cole.

The other spot is called Ask about her and in this one too we’re treated to a similarly self-involved everydude sitting at a bar and yabbering on about how underappreciated he is at work. His lady friend could not be less interested and shows it, pursing her lips, looking around and then finally heading away. Dude is oblivious until the bartender (our now famous bearded advice-giver) steps up and offers his denunciation. “What are you doing? You’ve been talking about yourself and your job for the past 10 minutes. Nobody Cares! SHUT UP! Ask her about HER!” He then spritzes dude-guy before dipping quickly back below the bar. Well, dude-ly takes the advice, apologizes for his blather and asks about his lady friend, instantly warming her heart. Saved once more.

Whether his advice in these spots is any good or not (it is), these ads do finally make clear what Kenneth Cole really thinks about his customers. We’re idiots. Each and every last one of us. What else can I take from ads like this? Good Kenneth Cole, he of the supposedly inspired intellect and progressively astute social conscience views those he clothes (or at least wants to) as self-absorbed, saliva-leaking idiots that require a newspaper across the nose before they are safe to engage with the world around them. All these years of pithy ads and tricky witticisms have been too subtle it would seem. Kenneth is running out of time and our collective denseness now requires a bearded preacher to smack our selfish selves upside the head so we listen. I guess even altruistic visionaries get impatient too.

Look, I have no truck with Kenneth Cole using his brand to trumpet his beliefs or even spout his particular ideology. It’s a free country and it’s his brand – have at it. But I do draw the line at being considered a moron by the same guy wanting access to my scratch. To be fair though, if I am willing to pay $85 for a bottle of smelly water that costs Kenneth 8 cents to produce maybe me being a moron is closer to the truth than I care to acknowledge. I think I need some Aqua-Velva – stat!

Monday, January 30, 2012

AWEARNESS, The Kenneth Cole Foundation and Soles4Souls Partner

AWEARNESS, The Kenneth Cole Foundation is partnering with Soles4Souls on a nationwide shoe drive and launch of a retail program to raise money for the construction of a community wellness center in Haiti. The program, which runs from August 3 to September 16, encourages customers to bring in their new or gently worn shoes, and donate funds to support the building of the Center.

Customers visiting any of the Kenneth Cole stores during this time will have the opportunity to drop off a gently worn pair of shoes, and/or donate $10 at check-out. Customers can also donate $10 online at www.kennethcole.com. Donations will go directly to support the construction of a Kenneth Cole-Soles4Souls sustained community wellness center for children and adults in earthquake-torn Haiti. Additionally, as a thank you for donating, customers will receive a 20% discount off their full-price purchase.

“I believe we have a responsibility to continue helping the people of Haiti rebuild their communities. Even though it’s been over a year since the earthquake, the area remains much the same today, and the people still need our help,” says Kenneth Cole. “Over the last 18 years we have collected more than 1.5 million pairs of shoes for those in need, and I felt the time was right to expand the initiative by building a Community Wellness Center that provides much needed healthcare and education for Haitians, and that will hopefully function as an anchor for the community.”

The community wellness center will include a recreation area, classes for HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention, along with education and treatment for Hookworm -- one of the most common diseases affecting children and adults in Haiti.

“The building of the community wellness center will be a huge step forward in the health and education of the people of Haiti,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “As Haitians work diligently to rebuild their lives, it is essential to also rebuild their sense of community. This center will be our first step in helping them do just that,” Elsey added.

Musician and social activist Michael Franti is also being recognized by AWEARNESS, The Kenneth Cole Foundation as one of their official “Change Agents”. A Change Agent is a social activist who by example, strives to help educate and encourage others to get involved. Past Change Agents have included: Cheyenne Jackson, Mayor Cory Booker, and Amr Wakd. Franti who is the lead singer of the band Spearhead, is known not only for his socially conscious music, but also as an activist and advocate for global peace, sustainable environmentalism, and social justice. Franti and Spearhead also recorded the Top 20 hit “Say Hey (I Love You).” A complete video Q&A with Franti can be viewed online at www.awearness.com.

For more information on how to get involved and donate to the victims in Haiti, visit www.awearness.com.

About AWEARNESS, The Kenneth Cole Foundation

AWEARNESS promotes, encourages and inspires positive and meaningful social change. We look to raise awareness about important social issues, motivate Change Agents, and support like-minded organizations to make a difference. We also sell products and host events in support of their important causes. As part of each partnership, an AWEARNESS “Change Agent” is selected, and their story of social activism is highlighted to inspire others to get involved. These interviews and products can be seen on the AWEARNESS website www.awearness.com.



About Kenneth Cole Productions Inc.

Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. designs, sources and markets a broad range of footwear, handbags, apparel and accessories under the brand names Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction and Unlisted, as well as footwear under the proprietary trademark Gentle Souls. The Company has also granted a wide variety of third party licenses for the production of men's, women's and children's apparel as well as fragrances, watches, jewelry, eyewear and several other accessory categories. The Company's products are distributed through department stores, better specialty stores, company-owned retail stores and its e-commerce website. Further information can be found at http://www.kennethcole.com.

Kenneth Cole: Reaction and Unlisted

Kenneth Cole Reaction is just one of the lines of shoes, clothing and accessories sold by Kenneth Cole Productions, New York, NY. If Kenneth Cole Productions sounds more like a motion picture company than a clothing manufacturer, well, there’s an interesting story behind the name. When Kenneth Cole, who once studied law at Emory University Law School, reverted back to his family’s business of shoe making, he developed a line of shoes and wanted to sell them in the nation’s fashion capitol of New York City. One problem: Cole couldn’t afford the cost of a New York hotel convention room where he could display his product.

Kenneth Cole is known as an American clothing designer. He designs clothing, accessories and shoes that fit men and women of all styles. Kenneth Cole Productions sells clothing and accessories under the following lines: Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, and Unlisted. His products have a rugged, determined, get-the-job-done look that is at the same time classy and sophisticated.

Unlisted and Kenneth Cole Reaction are two popular brands of ladies shoes. The heels and platforms are often strong and sturdy. These shoes represent exquisite style and genuine fashion. The Unlisted Brand offers every style in at least a size 10. The Kenneth Cole Reaction brand offers a large variety of size 11 women’s shoes.

Massimo Dutti, Kenneth Cole coming to India soon

Namaskaara, Bengaluru! Zara has opened its first store down south! Now now, we’re certain that this news brings great joy to us all, but let’s just take a deep breath now. :-)

The brand-new Zara store brings Bengaluru shoppers (we mean Bangalore, of course!) over 17,000 square feet of pure fashion pleasure, with plenty of trendy clothes and cool accessories. Here’s a glimpse of their stores

Massimo Dutti and Kenneth Cole have India on their mind

Couple more brands are set to launch in India soon. Inditex Group (which owns Zara) and Trent Limited (retail arm of Tata Group) have extended their joint venture agreement to open Massimo Dutti in India. Massimo Dutti is aimed at shoppers with a different sartorial taste, those seeking sophistication, elegance and high-quality fashion.

Kenneth Cole will open five stores in India over the next three years, after their licensing agreement with Reliance Brands. Reliance Brands will also handle the brand’s premium wholesale distribution. The longer-term plan includes around 25 stores over the next eight years. Kenneth Cole stores will stock with men’s and women’s footwear, clothing and accessories under the Kenneth Cole New York and the Kenneth Cole Reaction labels.