NYWIFT Blog

By Katie Chambers

In 1982, Kenneth Cole burst onto the American fashion scene. Unable to afford a traditional showroom during the New York Shoe Expo, the enterprising founder registered his footwear business as a film production, enabling him to sell thousands of pairs of shoes out of a trailer in midtown Manhattan. Cole’s unwavering determination fueled his company’s growth and his fierce commitment to social activism.

NYWIFT member Dori Berinstein is the director and producer of A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole, which is making its New York Premiere at the 2024 DOC NYC Festival.

Dori is a six-time, Tony-and-Olivier-winning Broadway producer and an Emmy-award-winning director/producer/writer. Documentary work includes: A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole, Showbusiness: The Road To Broadway, CAROL CHANNING: Larger Than Life and Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love (Emmy Award). 

Dori’s Broadway shows include: Stereophonic (Tony), Dana H, The Prom (Drama Desk), Legally Blonde (Olivier), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Tony) and Fool Moon (Tony).

Dori executive produced Isaac Mizrahi’s award-winning Unzipped and supervised the film Dirty Dancing. As a Walt Disney Imagineer, Dori supervised Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3D.

Dori sat down with us to discuss her latest work. 

 

 

 

Congratulations! What does inclusion in DOC NYC mean to you?

Our Man with Sole team is thrilled to be screening our film at DOC NYC – such a great festival – and to be surrounded by so many brilliant documentaries and documentarians who enlighten and inspire with their amazing work.  We’re very honored to be here.

 

Kenneth Cole’s fashion has been omnipresent in so many of our lives.  What was your relationship to his brand like before making the film?

I actually became aware of Kenneth’s fierce dedication to social causes before I got to know his fashion brand. Kenneth’s thought-provoking social impact advertisements, billboards and taxi tops deeply captivated my attention. I thought the ads were so clever…so important. They made me think. In fact, I used to cut out the ads! 

I also loved his fashion brand. I felt proud to wear Kenneth Cole shoes and clothes, given their association with causes I cared deeply about. 

 

What inspired you to make this film?

In 2018 I was producing The Prom, a new musical on Broadway. The show is about acceptance and tolerance. Kenneth and his team at Kenneth Cole Productions came on board as our Impact Sponsor, as their brand ethos perfectly aligned with the ‘mission’ of our show. This partnership gave me the opportunity to see, first-hand, the extraordinary depth and authenticity of Kenneth’s commitment to ‘cause.’

During that collaboration, Kenneth shared that he was thinking about using his 40 years of experience fighting stigma to address the growing mental health ‘pandemic.’ I immediately thought that this was an important to tell that could inspire others deeply.

 

 

How did you go about getting access to Cole himself? What has that relationship been like as you collaborated on this project?

I had the opportunity to work with Kenneth and his team previously, so access wasn’t an issue. Convincing Kenneth to share his story, however, was a bit more challenging! His dedication to ‘cause’ was authentically focused on the work… not on self-focused PR. Kenneth is always very quick to attribute the success of his fashion work and his social impact endeavors to the hard work of many others. So…it took a little while to get a thumbs up.

Once onboard, Kenneth and his team were very helpful throughout, making introductions to many who had been important social impact and fashion colleagues since his company launched 40 years ago. 

 

What surprised you while making the film?

As much as I thought I knew about Kenneth and his impact work, there was so much I didn’t know! I loved having to rethink the film over and over as we uncovered new stories and storytellers. Also, I was fascinated by his business trajectory and about how his fusion of ‘cause’ and ‘commerce’ had to overcome so many obstacles along the way.  

 

What was your biggest challenge in making the film? And favorite moment?

By far, the biggest challenge was figuring out how to take 40 years of incredible work…of phenomenal impact…of tremendous collaboration and tell that story in 90 minutes. There are so many wonderful stories on the ‘cutting room floor.’ Torture! 

My favorite moment? Kenneth’s refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer was tremendously inspiring. His inventiveness, his chutzpah and his unrelenting determination have powered his phenomenal success in business and in his cause-related endeavors for over 40 years. I learned a great deal from Kenneth while making the film. 

 

 

What do you hope audiences will take away from the film?

I believe they’ll leave the film feeling inspired and empowered to pursue ‘purpose’ in their own lives. 

 

How has your festival experience been? Any special moments to share with us?

I love DOC NYC! I’ve seen many fantastic films. And I’ve enjoyed meeting spectacular filmmakers and industry leaders. Hearing about their process of creation has been so interesting.

 

What is next for you?

I’m in post-production on two new documentaries and am tremendously excited to dive into several new film projects. 

 

Learn more about Dori Berinstein’s work at www.dramaticforces.com

Dori is one of 18 NYWIFT Members with projects at DOC NYC 2024. Check out the full lineup!