Kenneth Cole

His idea involved launching his brand as a film production company which gave him permission to release his first ad campaign entitled 'The Birth of a Shoe Company' on the streets of downtown Manhattan from the back of a huge truck. Needless to say this bold sense of entrepreneurial spirit guaranteed his brand a near instant cult status. Today, the fashion forward brand is still trading as a production company. Expect distressed leather jackets, asymmetric macs, fluid shift dresses and meticulously cut shirts.