Green Options

When you think of Kenneth Cole, timeless fashion, trendsetting shoes and stylish accessories likely leap to mind.  Their commitment to the environment and their eco-tote likely do not top your list.  But behind the well designed exterior lies a philanthropic soul, intent on sparking social change — and helping others do it, too.

Their recent launch of Awearness supports that mission, showcasing 25 years worth of philanthropy, and creating a place for consumers and businesses to get involved in championing the causes that are important to them.  From a blog to a book to a volunteer link up program, Kenneth Cole shows us it’s possible to look as good as you feel. 

Right down to its name, Awearness is the embodiment of Feelgood Style.

Being the slightly bold journalist that I am, I sought out an interview with this fashion icon to learn more about Awearness and uncover any other hidden gems lurking behind the finely stitched fabric of Kenneth Cole.  It started with some light stalking of their Twitter account, a couple of emails and a few [dozen] phone calls before I finally connected with Robert Genovese, Vice President of Marketing & Media at the West 50th Street headquarters in New York City.  Robert was gracious, responsive, and genuinely eager to share the details of the Awearness program, and happily indulged me in the laundry list of questions that I am thrilled to share with you now.

Good Magazine, profiled before on Green Options, is one of my favorite magazines because it highlights good things happening in the world AND because they give 100% of subscriptions to the nonprofit of the subscribers choice that is affiliated with Good. It always has a variety of interesting articles, features a clean, modern design, and makes me feel like there are people who give a damn in this world. The March/April issue’s theme is food–how appropriate for Eat.Drink.Better., since Good really did their homework on what’s going on in the food world right now.

The feature segment contains several articles about better food choices and issues in the food and agriculture world. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” explores the growing world of non-industrial animal products, from meat to poultry to dairy. They highlight the various questions those who seek to make conscious choices about their are compelled to ask. Smart move by starting their feature with this article. Their acknowledgment of the ambiguity that comes when making these kinds of choices was spot on and, in my mind, lent them immediate credibility. Organic? Free-range? Local? Hormone-free? Vegan? Writer Peter Rubin notes that there’s no one absolute better choice, and consumers must weigh the options about each product and it’s producers to decide what aligns with the values they seek to live, whether than be sustainability, animal rights, health, or simply consuming the best product available. Some people may disagree with this article because they vehemently oppose consuming any animal product, but I appreciated Rubin’s acknowledgment that those of us who do consume animal products still try to make ethical choices when doing so.

When Amy wrote about green magazines, she mentioned GOOD as being one of her favorites. I, too, a self-described magazine junkie, am a big fan of GOOD since it’s inception last year. With all the depressing news out there on any given day, GOOD always reaffirms my faith in humanity. Its focus is, like its name implies, good stuff: those things that are

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