{"id":763696,"date":"2026-06-27T01:37:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T01:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/763696\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T01:37:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T01:37:12","slug":"kenneth-cole-partners-with-kj-dillard-for-mental-health-awareness-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/763696\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenneth Cole Partners with KJ Dillard for Mental Health Awareness Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tKenneth Cole<\/a> is continuing to shine a light on mental health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs the month of June \u2014 identified as Men\u2019s Mental Health Awareness Month \u2014 winds down, the designer is teaming with television personality, model, musician and former professional skateboarder KJ Dillard for the final installment of his Purposeful Voices series. The mental health advocacy initiative encourages conversations around emotional well-being by focusing on individuals who help break down stigma through honesty and vulnerability.<\/p>\n

\n\tThrough a series of conversations and portraits, Dillard, who spent nearly a decade as a professional skateboarder before moving into modeling, music and television, addresses navigating life in the public eye, the pressures men face in expressing emotion and prioritizing mental well-being.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cGrowing up, I often felt isolated and alone, and I know so many people struggle with the same things but feel like they\u2019re the only one,\u201d he said. \u201cIf being honest about my experiences helps someone feel seen, ask for help or realize they\u2019re not alone, then that\u2019s why I share my story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"KJ<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tKJ Dillard in looks from the Kenneth Cole<\/a> collection.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Kenneth Cole Productions<\/p>\n

\n\tCole, chairman and chief creative officer of Kenneth Cole Productions Inc., said that since Dillard starred on the Bravo series \u201cSummer House,\u201d and made his mental health challenges public, \u201cKJ felt like a natural fit for us to work with\u00a0because he understands the power of sharing your story. At its core,\u00a0Purposeful Voices\u00a0is about creating space for real conversations and real experiences, because our stories can often help others navigate their own journeys. That\u2019s what makes KJ\u2019s perspective so valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThroughout the campaign<\/a>, Dillard is styled in a selection of Kenneth Cole<\/a> looks.<\/p>\n

\n\tDillard said the partnership \u201ccame together at the right time in my life. I\u2019ve been doing a lot of work on myself and reflecting on everything that\u2019s shaped me, from skateboarding to music to television. Kenneth and his team created space for me to be honest about that journey, and that felt real from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe added that he felt it was important to become part of the conversation since \u201cmen are often taught to keep things in and push through. I know firsthand how heavy that can become. If sharing my experience helps even one person feel less alone or more comfortable speaking up, then it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDillard believes that as a public figure, \u201cpeople only see parts of your life, and there\u2019s pressure to always look strong. But strength can also mean being honest when you\u2019re struggling. I think the more public figures show that side of themselves, the more it helps make those conversations feel normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDillard will also serve as a champion for The Mental Health Coalition<\/a>, a nonprofit founded by Cole in 2020 to help end the stigma surrounding mental health and expand access to resources and support.<\/p>\n

\n\tAlthough Men\u2019s Mental Health Awareness Month is ending, Cole said he will continue to focus on the issue. \u201cHelping\u00a0KJ share his story felt especially meaningful because his willingness to speak openly can help move that conversation forward. I\u2019ve always believed that what you stand for is more important than what you stand in. That belief has guided how I use my platform, to speak openly about issues that matter and to help move important conversations forward. When people choose to use their voices, it empowers others to do the same. Mental health is a perfect example. There\u2019s still so much stigma around these conversations, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s so important for people with a platform to speak up, be honest and help create a culture where asking for support is seen as strength, not weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kenneth Cole is continuing to shine a light on mental health. As the month of June \u2014 identified…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":763697,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[49,34826,48,84,271831,393,394],"class_list":["post-763696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-ca","tag-campaign","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-kenneth-cole","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=763696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763696\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/763697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=763696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=763696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=763696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}