store opening

Kenneth Cole’s New Store Has 24-Hour Delivery

Photo: Glen Luchford for Kenneth Cole

Kenneth Cole just opened a new concept store at Bond and Bowery and launched a new ad campaign to complement it. Titled the Courageous Class, the campaign features fashionable activists like Andreja Pejic (transwoman and model), Rhymefest (humanitarian hip-hop artist), Jon Rose (pro surfer), Topaz Page Green (model turned activist), and Jamie Clarke (deaf pro-soccer player).

Cole’s advertising has dealt with social issues for the past 32 years, but now he’s updating his vision with a major technology push. The new space is more interactive than ever, with selfie-snapping mirrors (they also make GIFs!) and screens in the dressing rooms that help you browse. The store will also deliver anything you want within 24 hours to any of the five boroughs.

This isn’t a full aesthetic rebrand — the look is still urban, with lots of black and leather — but the company has made a point of being more accessible and elevated. Cole wants to make sure he stays a part of the conversation as fashion changes: “Since I’ve been in the industry for so long I’ve earned the right to be considered, but every day I have to earn the right to be chosen. You have to be relevant, with a reason to exist and a very specific, viable point of view.”

Kenneth Cole, 328 Bowery; open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Photo: Glen Luchford for Kenneth Cole
Kenneth Cole’s New Store Has 24-Hour Delivery