He’s got sole. At the 38th annual FN Achievement Awards ceremony, to be held Dec. 4 in New York, veteran footwear designer Kenneth Cole will be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor that has previously been bestowed on designers and executives including Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Sam and Libby Edelman, Bruce Nordstrom and Vince Camuto.
Cole and his namesake company have been an industry fixture for more than 40 years.
Throughout his career, Cole has used his platform to support a range of social justice movements, most recently focusing on ending mental health stigmas. In 2019, Cole helped to found The Mental Health Coalition, a large-scale effort aimed at bringing together influential nonprofits, businesses, brands, celebrities and influencers in a coordinated effort to destigmatize mental health conditions. The company has prioritized wellness outside its business with charitable collection drops, as well as internally through employee programs.
The designer has also been known for his eye-brow-raising ads that have tackled controversial topics such as gun reform, the Iraq war, AIDS epidemic, climate change and much more. “You can change your outfit, you can outfit change,” has been one of the brand’s go-to taglines, for instance.
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“That’s the ultimate challenge,” Cole told FN in September 2023. “How do we do what we do in the ordinary course and connect it to something bigger? And that’s something I’ve tried to do for 40 years, and still try to do.”
It’s a big year for Cole. Earlier this month, his documentary, “A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole,” premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The doc explores his life, career and activism.
In 2019, Cole and Donna Karan were honored with the Icon Award for Social Impact winners at the FNAAs for their philanthropic work with Haiti. Through Karan’s Urban Zen retail concept and Cole’s Gentle Souls footwear label, the duo debuted a shoe collection featuring 10 Haitian-inspired looks made by a group of the country’s artisans.
Cole will join more soon-to-be announced winners at the 2024 FNAAs on Dec. 4 in New York.
For sponsorship and ticket information, contact Samantha Rumsky at srumsky@fairchildfashion.com.
