Fashion
The Man From Kenneth Cole
by INNI KAUR
Sandeep Singh is the face of Kenneth Cole's new ad campaign, "We All Walk In Different Shoes".
Outside the Kenneth Cole store in Rockefeller Center, New York (49th Street and 5th Avenue), U.S.A., is a 20-feet-high mural of Sandeep Singh.
Kenneth Cole, one of the world's leading fashion designers, has launched a worldwide campaign to mark the brand's 25th anniversary. The focus of his ad campaign is that "we all walk in different shoes".
Kenneth Cole has a long history of supporting socially conscious initiatives, including the AWEARNESS campaign focused on AIDS and homelessness.
As far as I am concerned, the team at Kenneth Cole could not have picked a more appropriate Sikh face for this ad campaign.
I first met Sandeep at the Sikh Educational Logharh Camp (Pennsylvania, U.S.A.) and it was love at first sight for me ... (but, I don't know about him, though). His free spirit, his charm and his outlook on life particularly struck me. Needless to say, he broke many hearts at camp.
Through our many conversations since, he has always enchanted me with his far-reaching ideas. I must confess that I am thrilled at the notion that the team at Kenneth Cole saw in him what I see in him.
"That naughty look, with a beautiful face that rarely smiles" is, in my opinion, the right image for Kenneth Cole.
Sandeep is an alumnus of Duke University, North Carolina, and graduated from the Law School at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. An entrepreneur or a dreamer, he took a break from law and started the Tavalon Tea Company in New York City ... www.tavalon.com.
He's also an accomplished tabla player, who has rocked with quite a few bands. Born and raised in Asheboro, North Carolina, he now lives with his wife, Dilpreet Kaur, in San Francisco, California.
Sandeep, may you continue to listen to your inner music and may all your dreams reach fruition.
January 31, 2008
Conversation about this article
1: Bhupinder Singh Ghai (New Delhi, India), February 01, 2008, 5:25 AM.
This ad would never have made any impact had the guy been replaced by any other South Asian. It shows that the turban can be fashionable, even in the West. It's what is inside the head that determines how it is received by others. I myself am from the fashion industry and work with the top designers and buyers in the U.S. Believe me, it is the confidence that matters. And this is exactly what is lacking in today's youth. Don't be a follower, be a Leader. In other words, be a SARDAR!
2: Roopinder singh Bains (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada), February 01, 2008, 4:35 PM.
Kenneth Cole for President!
3: Kiran (Fremont, California, U.S.A.), February 02, 2008, 6:52 PM.
Chak de Phattey!
4: Gurveer Singh (Age 8) (Orange County, U.S.A.), February 02, 2008, 11:48 PM.
Way to go, "Cool Dude"! You look awesome. Way to go, Kenneth Cole!
5: SSN (India), February 03, 2008, 2:55 AM.
Ghai Sahib, spot on! I would say exactly what you have said.
6: G.S. Abrol (Bombay, India), February 04, 2008, 10:14 AM.
Isn't this the real "Singh is King"!
7: Roni Singh (Bangkok, Thailand), February 04, 2008, 11:27 AM.
Awesome ... Very well presented. Be proud of who you are. Just BE. Don't be superior or inferior.
8: Kamaldeep (India), February 04, 2008, 12:52 PM.
We are proud of you, brother.
9: Jagdeep Singh (London, England), February 04, 2008, 3:35 PM.
What a cool dude.
10: Sargun (age 9) (El Dorado Hills, CA, U.S.A.), February 04, 2008, 7:22 PM.
You should be proud. You are the only Sikh model(I know)in the world:) You rock!
11: Paramjit Singh (Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.), February 04, 2008, 10:02 PM.
Very very impressive. Can't wait to see it in Tampa and all over the country.
12: Hardeep Singh (Amritsar, Punjab), February 05, 2008, 2:03 AM.
Man! You look awesome. Many blessings from Amritsar, the city of Harmandar Sahib. Keep it up ... hooreeeeeeyyyy!
13: Ishtpreet Kaur (Delhi, India), February 05, 2008, 9:20 AM.
Brother, you have very well proved the fact that Sikhs are indeed unique!
14: Tejveer (Pennsylvania, U.S.A.), February 05, 2008, 11:26 AM.
Well done, my Sikh brother. We are all so proud of you. This should be an inspiration for all Sikh guys, and especially their parents, to take pride in being a Sikh.
15: Payal (Union City, California, U.S.A.), February 05, 2008, 4:47 PM.
Wicked! We finally have some Sikh representation in the world of Fashion!
16: T. Mann (Brea, U.S.A.), February 05, 2008, 7:52 PM.
A good representative!
17: Bakhsish Singh (Brampton, Canada), February 06, 2008, 12:57 AM.
Indeed a proud moment. It will be an inspiration for others, especially those who shun their identity to become "fashionable". This shows the true spirit of a Sardar.
18: M. Dhillon (New York, U.S.A.), February 06, 2008, 9:20 AM.
I gush with joy and beam with pride, everytime I walk by the ad at the Grand Central Store! "Sava lakh sey ek lardaoon ...!" We are Beautiful - We are blessed! Our uniform and uniformity goes deeper than mere appearance ... but what an IMPACT! Sikh ON! :)
19: Amar (Vancouver, Canada), February 06, 2008, 2:46 PM.
Wow! Well done, Kenneth Cole! I'm proud to be a Sikh and very proud to see a fellow Sikh brother representing us in this fashion. Keep your heads up high, brothers and sisters!
20: Rupinder Singh Mahant (India), February 07, 2008, 4:36 AM.
Khush kita yee, kaka! ... too good!
21: Jasbir Nanra (Mumbai, India), February 09, 2008, 3:13 AM.
Very well done. Keep rocking!
22: Lucky Singh (Washington D.C., U.S.A.), February 10, 2008, 12:19 PM.
A proud Sikh moment - being a Sikh living in the western hemisphere and wearing a turban and beard, I cannot even begin to tell how grateful I am to such endeavours. Sikhs, great though they are, do lack the recognition in the West because of ignorance from locals and lack of penetration of Sikhs into the mainstream media/advertising. Kudos to Kenneth Cole.
23: Bavan Singh (U.S.A.), February 10, 2008, 10:16 PM.
I'm very impressed with Kenneth Cole and Sandeep's campaign ad. In regards to his YouTube piece, I believe he has done more for the Sikhs than certain people have done by trying to, say, befriend politicians. By reaching out through a popular company, be it clothing or otherwise, this information will reach many more people than it would on, say, C-Span.
24: Preety Anand (Canada), February 11, 2008, 11:19 PM.
Its a remarkable achievement in the field of fashion. I'm extremely proud of you. Truly speaking, you're a role model for all Sikh youth. Makes me feel proud as a Sikh!
25: Harvinder Singh Bali (Jammu, India), February 13, 2008, 12:47 AM.
We're all proud of you. You have represented the true image of Sikhism. It is a lesson for the French government ...
26: Gunneet (Patiala, India), February 13, 2008, 9:52 AM.
It's really nice to see a Sikh bro as a model. I've also participated in some modelling events; they serve to inspire the youth to love and appreciate their turbans.
27: Gurpreet Singh Badrain (Punjab), February 16, 2008, 6:25 AM.
Besides the fashion statement of the turban, it is the pride a Khalsa takes in wearing it. It is the crown of kings!
28: Parminder Kaur (Raleigh, U.S.A.), February 17, 2008, 2:27 AM.
Thanks for portraying a handsome Sikh in your ad, Kenneth Cole! It could have been any Sikh but I am happy it is Sandeep. He has determination, and finds ways to get what he wants. Sandeep was a cute little baby and has grown up to be a handsome young man. As a small child of three, he started to learn shabad-kirtan. Bhai Jeevan Singh ji, who was a regular visitor to our home and State, introduced him to it. Sandeep would sit on his knees so that he could play on the keys of the harmonium with one finger, while his mom would pump the harmonium. Sandeep grew up learning to play the tabla and became good at it. Sandeep, you are a good role model for other Sikh youth. I, being his maasi, cannot stop bragging about him. We are on a visit to India, I tell everyone about you and your ad. Of course, people here cannot believe you could be portrayed with a turban, especially when people here are taking them off. Thanks, Sandeep and Kenneth Cole, for this beautiful image and ad.
29: Jasvinder Singh (Delhi, India), February 17, 2008, 11:28 AM.
Brother, you really deserved it. That's why you're there. You make us so proud.
30: Sunny (Bridgewater, New Jersey, U.S.A.), February 18, 2008, 10:07 PM.
What a "sexy" sardar! Keep it up, brother ... OOOhhh Balley!
31: Balwinder Kaur (Moscow, Russia), February 21, 2008, 1:16 PM.
Bole so nihal ... Sat Sri Akaal! ... You rock, Sandeep ... keep it up :)
32: Raman Kaul (U.S.A.), February 21, 2008, 1:26 PM.
On a trip to NY city 2 days ago, I noticed this really attractive ad in the Kenneth Cole store near Grand Central Terminal and it felt really good. I looked up the internet to know more and landed at your page. More search led me to the Kenneth Cole site (http://www.kennethcole.com/thinkers/bio6.asp), which features the photograph as well as the video. Turns out you got the model's name wrong. His name is Sonny Caberwal and not Sandeep Singh. Or, is Sandeep his real name? In that case, is Caberwal a replacement for Sabharwal?
33: Inderjeet Singh Chadha (India), March 04, 2008, 11:04 PM.
We're all proud of you. You have represented the true image of Sikhism. It is a lesson for the French and Indian governments. And it serves as a great role model for young Sikhs.
34: Haspinder Singh (France), March 15, 2008, 12:32 PM.
Cool! Awesome! Wicked! Our Sardar bro and Kenneth Cole both rock!
35: Ramanbir Singh (Chandigarh, Punjab), April 03, 2008, 7:25 PM.
Eh tan Balle Balle kar ditti, Well done, Kenneth Cole and Sandeep Singh!
36: Major Arvinder Singh Chahal (Punjab), May 06, 2008, 2:52 AM.
Raj Karega Khalsa! A handsome face to start the campaign. Rabb Raakha! Keep it up ...
37: Upkar (India), June 01, 2008, 11:45 PM.
You look great, but hey, pull up your moustaches! Drooping ones give a low morale/feeling; Sikhs always have high spirits. But, the rest is an excellent personality.
38: Gurinder Randhawa (Vancouver, Canada), June 02, 2008, 7:52 PM.
Fantastic, great to see a Sikh publicly portayed in the fashion world!
39: Sonu (U.S.A.), June 12, 2008, 1:58 AM.
A picture that speaks better than a thousand words. You make us proud, man. Oye, Chak de phatte!
40: Dimpy (India), June 15, 2008, 5:27 AM.
Sikhs are gonna rockkkk ... with both their inner and outside personalities. Well done, Sandeep! A fashion statement not at the cost of one's faith! Wonderful.
41: Amardeep Singh (Malout, Punjab), June 15, 2008, 7:39 PM.
Never destroy any aspect of your personality, for what you may think is a wild branch could well be the heart of the tree.
42: A. S. Choudhary (Arlington, U.S.A.), June 24, 2008, 1:24 PM.
Balle balle! - chukk dittey phatte, Sardaraan ne!
43: Lovemeet Singh Matharu (Ludhiana, Punjab), July 31, 2008, 7:51 AM.
I would love to wear this brand ...
44: Harp Singh (London, U.K.), December 31, 2008, 2:21 PM.
Balle, balle! I like your style, man. Sikh gonna rock. You've made your mark on the world.
45: Sukhdev Singh (India), February 28, 2009, 12:25 PM.
Mahaan jio, Singh is King!
46: Narinder Kumar (Patiala, Punjab), March 29, 2009, 5:12 AM.
Chakk de phatte!
47: Twinkle (Delhi, India), April 03, 2009, 4:22 AM.
Well ... this is a very proud moment for Sikhs all over the world, as you have represented our community with pride, and we are very proud of you for doing so. Blessed be you. I'm happy that you are one who respects and loves his roots!
48: Harkirat Singh (Chandigarh, Punjab), May 14, 2009, 2:18 AM.
Good job by the model. All Sikhs must be proud of him. This should be a lesson for those Sikhs who go abroad and change their identity from a Sikh to that of a non-Sikh, just thinking that this will give them fame and fortune. [Editor: Sikhs who go abroad?]