Kenneth Cole's approach to fashion is fresh, intelligent and often surprising. If there is a leader among New York's socially conscious fashion elite, it is he.

For a while, Cole occupied the slot as the first designer to show on opening day of New York fashion week. Just before sending his clothes down the runway, he would show a cartoon-animated political satire that skewered various politicians and celebrities while managing to make audiences laugh.

But he has been absent from the collections for the past several seasons. Now, to mark his 25th anniversary, he is presenting his spring collection not on professional models but on those he described as "bold, unexpected people of substance."

Who are they? Aimee Mullins, an actor, paralympic athlete and president of the Women's Sports Foundation; Theo Kogan, a singer, actor, entrepreneur and feminist; Sonny Caberwal, a practicing Sikh and entrepreneur who speaks out against racial profiling; Dror Shaul and Hany Abu-assad, Israeli and Palestinian film directors and collaborators; Delmon Dunston, a quadriplegic rugby player and support counselor; Channing Moss, a U.S. Army soldier injured in Afghanistan; Regan Hofmann, HIV-positive editor-in-chief of Poz magazine; Sonia, an undocumented immigrant and mother; and Joanna and Nicoletta Tessler, a gay married couple with their daughter, Ruthie.

The subjects are captured in 11 photos that are part of the new Cole fashion ad campaign, "We All Walk In Different Shoes." You can see live interviews with some of them at www.kennethcole.com.

"We're putting the focus on others like Kenneth who have lived their lives outside the norm, to show how important it is to give those that are different a voice," said Kyle Andrew, the company's senior vice president for marketing.

New York perfume house Bond No. 9. has launched the second Andy Warhol-inspired fragrance in a series of collectibles commemorating the life and influence of the art icon.

Andy Warhol Union Square, a collaboration with the nonprofit Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, has notes of lily of the valley, sweet blue freesia, white birchwood, amber and a cool silver-cloud musk accord.

Warhol once described his favorite aroma as "the first smell of spring in New York." Union Square studios were two deteriorating buildings in Downtown Manhattan occupied by the Pittsburgh-born artist and his crew during his heyday from 1968 to 1984.

Housed in a star-shaped purple bottle emblazoned with a yellow blossom and blue grass motif, Union Square costs $135 and $195 at Larrimor's, Downtown; the Andy Warhol Museum on the North Side; and at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bond No, 9 stores and their Web sites beginning March 15. The first fragrance in the series, the unisex Andy Warhol's Silver Factory, launched Dec. 1.

Thursday through Saturday: Trunk show of Marisa Baratelli colorful Thai-silk evening separates with informal modeling at Lintons at the Waterfront, Homestead.

Saturday: Coco's Cupcakes in Shadyside will unveil uniquely flavored cupcakes for several neighborhoods in designer Julia DiNardo's Neighbor Teaze collection during a special event noon to 8 p.m. at 5811 Ellsworth Ave. Along with the launch of new novelty T-shirts representing the North Side and Ellsworth, cupcakes with flavors ranging from chocolate chip to carrot cake will represent those communities, as well as Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Highland Park, Lawrenceville, South Side, Oakland and Point Breeze. Ten percent of cupcake and T-shirt sales at the event will be donated to Dress for Success Pittsburgh. Also, Sugar Boutique on Ellsworth is offering a sweet gift with each purchase.