New York Fashion Week took an unexpected turn when Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), was filmed physically restraining animal rights protesters during a runway show.Kolb has now taken voluntary leave from his role following the incident at COS’ show on September 13. The fashion executive also apologised, saying he should have left the situation to security. The CFDA has confirmed that he is on leave while it conducts a full review.The incident happened during the COS runway show, where activists from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protested the brand’s use of sheep’s wool.Videos of the confrontation quickly circulated online, putting the head of the organisation behind New York Fashion Week at the centre of a controversy that has since spread across the fashion industry.
What happened at the COS show?
At least two protesters entered the runway during the COS show as part of a demonstration against the use of wool.According to videos reviewed by Reuters, Kolb physically intervened. He was seen grabbing at protesters and restraining one woman on the ground while covering her mouth with his hand. Another protester was also grabbed during the incident.PETA said three of its supporters were involved in the runway protest. The organisation said its activists were demonstrating against the treatment of sheep in the wool industry and calling on H&M and COS to stop using wool. PETA also said the protesters planned to file a police report and pursue criminal charges. Those are PETA’s claims; Reuters reported the incident based on videos that circulated online.The protest itself was not random. PETA had been campaigning against H&M Group’s use of wool and had raised allegations about the treatment of sheep at a South African farm connected to a certified wool supply chain used by the group. H&M has said it sources animal-derived fibres from certified farms and, where possible, from recycled sources.
Steven Kolb apologises
Following the incident, Kolb acknowledged that physically intervening had been the wrong response.“There is no justification for physically restraining another person. Security should have handled the situation, and I should have stepped back,” Kolb said in a statement posted to his Instagram account.
FILE – Steven Kolb attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” exhibition on May 2, 2022, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
He also said he was taking voluntary leave and planned to meet with PETA, the group behind the protest.The CFDA, which organises New York Fashion Week, later confirmed the leave and said it was taking the matter seriously. The organisation said Kolb would remain on leave pending a “full review.”The decision puts the incident under a formal review rather than treating it simply as a confrontation between protesters and security at a fashion show.
Why were the protesters there?
The demonstrators were objecting to the use of sheep’s wool in fashion.PETA has been campaigning for H&M to stop selling wool, following an investigation by its Asia division into conditions at a South African wool farm. The organisation says footage from the farm showed workers kicking, beating and roughly handling sheep during shearing. These allegations come from PETA’s own investigation and have been part of its campaign against wool.PETA’s protest at the COS show was aimed at bringing that message directly to the runway.After the confrontation, PETA criticised Kolb’s actions and called on H&M and COS to remove wool from their collections.The organisation described the incident as an example of what it sees as the fashion industry’s response to animal-rights activism. That characterisation is PETA’s position.
What did H&M say?
H&M, which owns COS, also responded to the incident.The company said it respects people’s right to express their views and expressed regret over what happened.“We are deeply sorry about the incident that occurred in connection with our AW26 show on 13 September,” an H&M spokesperson said in a statement. “We respect everyone’s right to express their views, and we believe everyone should be treated with care and respect.”The company also said it sources animal-derived fibres from certified farms and, where possible, from recycled sources.A controversy that goes beyond one runwayThe incident has raised questions about how protests are handled at fashion shows, particularly when activists interrupt a live runway.Fashion Week shows attract designers, celebrities, buyers, editors and photographers, and security is generally present to manage access to the venue and runway. But this particular confrontation involved the CEO of the organisation that oversees New York Fashion Week rather than only venue security.Kolb’s own statement acknowledged that distinction. He said security should have handled the situation and that he should have stepped back.For PETA, the confrontation has become part of its wider campaign against wool. For the CFDA, it has now resulted in its chief executive stepping away from his role while the organisation reviews what happened.And for New York Fashion Week, one of its most visible moments this season has happened away from the clothes themselves.The runway may have been the setting, but the debate now centres on where protest ends, how security should respond and what happens when a fashion industry’s senior figures become directly involved.
