Kenneth Cole Steps Into Advocacy for Mental Health

Fashion designer Kenneth Cole is known for his iconic shoes and clothing. However, in addition to making people look good, he also advocates for making them feel mentally well. 

While Cole has never said that he has been diagnosed with a mental health condition, his passion for the cause began in the 2000s when he worked with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for guidance on ensuring his company is a stigma-free workplace. During the process, he began learning more about mental health.

“I came to realize that the crisis is overwhelming, with 1 in 4 people (according to WHO) suffering from some type of mental health issue,” says Cole. “But I have always believed that it is more like 4 in 4 because if it is not you, it is someone close to you in your life – a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a friend, a co-worker, etc. And beyond that, 2 out of 3 people are suffering in the shadows.” 

His coalition partnered with 34 nonprofits, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Bring Change to Mind, Child Mind Institute, Crisis Text Line, JED Foundation, Mental Health America, NAMI, and The Trevor Project. 

“We brought together the most passionate, influential, and diverse mental health organizations to destigmatize mental health and empower access to vital resources and necessary support for all,”
says Cole. 

Putting Passion Into Action

In 2023, Cole collaborated with Sesame Workshop to raise awareness around children’s emotional well-being. He designed a collection of T-shirts, hoodies, and sneakers featuring Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Elmo, and the Count. Each design features a unique message about mental health and the importance of being open and honest about feelings. For instance, a hoodie featuring Oscar the Grouch reads, “It’s OK to feel grouchy,” while another hoodie with Cookie Monster displays the sentiment, “Share cookies, share kindness.” 

His coalition’s most recent initiative, SOS (Safe Online Standards) for Kids' Mental Health, aims to establish safe online standards for kids’ mental health for the first time ever. Cole mobilized top leaders in mental health, technology, and academia, as well as real families, to implement the shared goal of creating safe online standards. 

“Living in today’s complicated digital world, we often let our kids use technology unguarded and unprotected,” says Cole. “We owe it to our kids, and ourselves, to provide a safer online experience for the next generation, and that is our goal.” 

Decades of Standing Up for Others

Advocating for others isn’t new to Cole. Since the 1980s, he has passionately spread awareness about HIV/AIDS:

• In 1985, he launched a public service campaign that discussed the stigma regarding the disease.
• In 1987, he joined the board of directors of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.
• In 2016, he was appointed a United Nations International Goodwill Ambassador on behalf of UNAIDS.
• In 2017, he launched the End AIDS Coalition (EAC). 

“From early on, as a brand, I have always spoken about what others wouldn’t talk about and weren’t talking about," says Cole. "By doing this, we were also making our own point of view that hadn’t been made."

"In virtue, we were destigmatizing an issue…I came to understand that stigma, at the end of the day, is a crisis of perception, and I realized one day that I am in the perception business.”

Several years after his advocacy initiatives with AIDS, he felt the push to change the perception of and narrative around mental health, bringing his core business disciplines to the table—scaling, convening, and accountability. 

However, Cole says that oftentimes, his efforts in the mental health space are met with a question mark or confusion. 

“This is likely because it’s not a typical allocation of one’s time and resources that one would expect from a business person in a space that is so complicated and challenging,” he says. “But I think people are becoming a bit more understanding of the efforts as time goes on and as we begin to make some headway.” 

The Future of Mental Health Means Less Stigma

While Cole believes that the mental health crisis in the United States is possibly one of the biggest of our time, he is inspired to keep making a difference through the MHC.  

“And I believe that we can change stigma and make changes, but only by working together,” he says.

The more people talk about mental health, the more change will occur, he adds. “And the more people talk about it, the more that others will be comfortable doing the same. Only when people are talking about it are we going to see it get better, and then we will hopefully see change happen at a considerable rate.”

“We’re [not] going to continue to make any meaningful progress until we can make it easier to talk about these circumstances,” he says. “We are appreciative that we have been able to find a voice that helps do it in some way.” 

He believes that empathy for people who are struggling is missing from how mental health is handled in this country.

“I believe that humanity is missing. Humanity for the individuals that are struggling. Mental health is connected to most of society’s struggles and problems, and unfortunately, people with mental health struggles are often further diminished as a result,” he says. 

He hopes the future will come with standards where people can turn to help them navigate the complications of mental health and find support and treatment. 

How Cole Cares for His Own Mental Health

When he needs a mental health break or time for self-care, Cole enjoys golfing and fishing. “But I definitely don’t do it as much as I wish I could, or probably should,” he says. 

He also turns to his family for support and guidance during difficult times. 

“It is definitely harder for men to talk about their struggles. And we know that it’s harder for Black men than Caucasian men and even harder for Asian men than Black men. But men have to figure it out,” says Cole. “I believe that vulnerability is a strength, as is empathy, and if/when we figure it out, it pays meaningful dividends and almost always proves to be worthwhile.” 

He appreciates the next generation’s increased openness to sharing and caring about mental health and says his three adult daughters with his wife, Maria Cuomo, are more outspoken about the topic than he ever was. 

“It may be generational, but in many ways they are more comfortable with the subject than myself and most of my peers,” Cole says. “My children, at the end of the day, have inspired much of this journey, and for that, I am very grateful.”