The brand that is known for its witty and colorful clothing has made a natural and yet, anticipated step into the world of kids wear.

"Reaction Kenneth Cole is a successful, well-known brand in both the men's and women's marketplace, entering into the kid's business was simply a natural progression for us," said Paul Blum, COO of Kenneth Cole Productions.

Reaction Kenneth Cole kids wear will launch in Spring 2002 with boys wear in sizes 4 to 20 while the girl's collection will debut for the back-to-school market in Fall 2002 with sizes ranging from 4 to 16. Toddler and infant sizes are also in the plans. "It is time for a new status brand in the kids wear market and Reaction Kenneth Cole is going to be just that," said Jason Rabin, President and Owner of Kids Headquarters.

The branded concept of Reaction Kenneth Cole with its edgy, fresh approach to dressing will be carried over into the kidswear collection. The core basics will be denim pieces, sweaters and colorful t-shirts while the trend items will consist of woven shirts, novelty denims and logo t-shirts. "I have always wanted to appeal to the next generation of customers who are fashion obsessed and brand conscious," says Kenneth Cole.

Kids Headquarters is a $400 million company that is well-known for manufacturing children's clothing for entertainment companies like Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers and Lego(TM). "The licensing agreement with Kids Headquarters is reflective of our continuing effort to align ourselves with partners who make the best product," says Kenneth Cole.

The Retail prices for the Reaction Kenneth Cole kids clothing will range from approximately $14 for t-shirts to $30 for pants. The projected sales volume for the first year is between $20 to $25 million with distribution plans that include all of the Federated and May stores as well as Bloomingdales, Marshall Fields, Macy*s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillards. Specialty stores around the country will also carry Reaction Kenneth Cole kids wear.