SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    Form 10-K
                ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996          Commission File No. 1-13082


                         KENNETH COLE PRODUCTIONS, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

            New York                                            13-3131650
(State or Other Jurisdiction of                              (I.R.S. Employer
 Incorporation or Organization)                           Identification Number)

                    152 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                                 (212) 265-1500
                          Registrant's telephone number

           Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

                                                          Name of Each Exchange
         Title of Each Class                                 on Which Registered
         -------------------                                 -------------------

 Class A common stock, par value $.01 per share          New York Stock Exchange

          Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 (g) of the Act:

                                      None

     Indicate  by check mark  whether the  registrant  (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934  during  the  preceding  12 months  (or for such  shorter  period  that the
registrant was required to file such reports),  and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes (X) No ( )

    Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent  filers  pursuant to Item
405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best  of  the  registrant's   knowledge,  in  definitive  proxy  or  information
statements  incorporated  by  reference  in Part  lll of this  Form  10-K or any
amendment to this Form 10-K. ( X )

     Aggregate  market  value of the voting stock held by  nonaffiliates  of the
registrant as of the close of business on March 24, 1997: $ 138,039,544

     Number of shares of Class A Common Stock, $.01 par value, outstanding as of
the close of business on March 24, 1997: 7,363,946

     Number of shares of Class B Common Stock, $.01 par value, outstanding as of
the close of business on March 24, 1997: 5,785,398

                       DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The  information  required  by Part III of Form 10-K is  incorporated  herein by
reference to the  Registrant's  definitive  proxy  statement to be mailed to the
stockholders of the Registrant by April 29, 1997

<PAGE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                           Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. and Subsidiaries
                                                Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

                                                                                      1996               1995              1994
                                                                               ----------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                            <C>                 <C>                 <C>         
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income .............................................................       $ 12,287,000        $  9,824,000        $  9,827,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in)
   provided by operating activities:
     Depreciation and amortization .....................................          1,109,000             794,000             477,000
     Provision for doubtful accounts ...................................             35,000              35,000              91,000
     Amortization of deferred compensation .............................            228,000             225,000             152,000
     Abandonment of leasehold improvements and equipment ...............            106,000
     Provision (benefit) for deferred taxes ............................             36,000             186,000            (971,000)
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
         Increase in due from factors ..................................         (4,078,000)         (6,105,000)         (1,999,000)
         Increase in accounts receivable ...............................         (1,058,000)           (424,000)         (1,237,000)
         Increase in inventories .......................................        (12,904,000)         (4,585,000)           (328,000)
         Increase in prepaid expenses and
           other current assets ........................................            (92,000)           (514,000)           (283,000)
         Increase in deposits and sundry ...............................           (786,000)           (600,000)           (364,000)
         Increase (decrease) in income taxes payable ...................          1,497,000            (220,000)            559,000
         Increase in accounts payable ..................................          5,973,000           1,129,000           1,746,000
         Increase (decrease) in accrued expenses and
           other current liabilities ...................................            485,000            (566,000)         (2,891,000)
         Increase in other non-current liabilities .....................            747,000             551,000             108,000
                                                                               ----------------------------------------------------
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities ....................          3,585,000            (270,000)          4,887,000

Cash flows from investing activities
Acquisition of property and equipment, net .............................         (4,894,000)         (3,320,000)         (2,263,000)
                                                                               ----------------------------------------------------
Net cash used in investing activities ..................................         (4,894,000)         (3,320,000)         (2,263,000)

   
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds (repayment) of revolving line of credit, net ..................            440,000                              (1,432,000)
Net proceeds from initial public offering ..............................                                                 17,052,000
Proceeds from exercise of stock options ................................            345,000             542,000               6,000
S corporation dividends paid ...........................................                                                (12,500,000)
Distribution to shareholders ...........................................                                                   (789,000)
Repayment of notes payable to shareholders .............................                                                   (209,000)
Repayment of long-term debt ............................................            (54,000)            (63,000)            (52,000)
                                                                               ----------------------------------------------------
Net cash provided by financing activities ..............................            731,000             479,000           2,076,000
Net (decrease) increase in cash ........................................           (578,000)         (3,111,000)          4,700,000
Cash, beginning of year ................................................          2,204,000           5,315,000             615,000
                                                                               ----------------------------------------------------
Cash, end of year ......................................................       $  1,626,000        $  2,204,000        $  5,315,000
                                                                               ====================================================
Supplemental  disclosures of cash flow  information
Cash paid during the period for:
   Interest ............................................................       $    119,000        $     82,000        $    143,000
   Income taxes ........................................................       $  5,804,000        $  6,357,000        $  3,378,000
</TABLE>
    

          See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.


<PAGE>

                                   Signatures


     Pursuant  to the  requirements  of  Section  13 or 15(d) of the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


                                          KENNETH COLE PRODUCTIONS, INC.

                                          By  /s/ KENNETH D. COLE
                                              --------------------------------
                                                  Kenneth D. Cole
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer

                                          Date:


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report
has been signed by the following  persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

             Signature                                     Title                                        Date                  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                        
<S>                                          <C>                                         <C> 
/S/     KENNETH D. COLE                      President, Chief Executive                  March 28, 1997
------------------------------------                                                    
          Kenneth D. Cole                        Officer and Director                   
                                                                                        
/S/    STANLEY A. MAYER                      Executive Vice President,                   March 28, 1997
------------------------------------                                                    
         Stanley A. Mayer                        Chief Financial Officer,               
                                                 Treasurer and Director                 
                                                                                        
/S/            PAUL BLUM                     Executive Vice President                    March 28, 1997
------------------------------------                                                    
             Paul Blum                           and Director                           
                                                                                        
/S/     DAVID P. EDELMAN                     Vice President Finance (Principal           March 28, 1997
------------------------------------                                                    
         David P. Edelman                        Accounting Officer)                    
                                                                                        
/S/   MARIA CUOMO COLE                       Director                                    March 28, 1997
------------------------------------                                                    
         Maria Cuomo Cole                                                               
                                                                                        
/S/      ROBERT C. GRAYSON                   Director                                    March 28, 1997
------------------------------------                                                    
              Robert  C. Grayson                                                        
                                                                                        
/S/        DENIS F. KELLY                    Director                                    March 28, 1997
------------------------------------                                                    
          Denis F. Kelly                                                                
                                                                                        
/S/       JEFFREY G. LYNN                    Director                                    March 28, 1997
------------------------------------                                                    
          Jeffrey G. Lynn                                                               
                                                                                        
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