- CFDA head Steven Kolb restrained protesters, later apologizing for actions.
- PETA protested wool use; CFDA’s existing ban excludes wool.
The head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Steven Kolb, has apologised for reacting “inappropriately” during an altercation with animal rights protesters who disrupted a New York Fashion Week runway show.
Kolb, the CFDA’s CEO and president, was filmed appearing to physically restrain two activists who interrupted Swedish fashion brand COS’s Fall-Winter 2026 presentation on Sunday.
Videos show Kolb grabbing the protesters, snatching their printed signs and covering their mouths with his hands as they shouted slogans including “get wool off the runway now”. He was also filmed wrapping his leg around one of the activists, appearing to pin the protester to the floor as models continued walking the runway.
CFDA Chief Apologises After Protester Altercation
Shortly after the incident, Kolb apologised in an Instagram Story, saying he had reacted inappropriately and should have allowed the security team to handle the situation.
“It wasn’t my place to do so. I should have let the security team handle the situation,” Kolb wrote.
Neither Kolb nor the CFDA responded to a request for further comment.
PETA Says Activists Were ‘Assaulted’
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said its activists had been “assaulted” by Kolb.
The group said it targeted COS as part of an ongoing campaign urging its parent company, H&M Group, to stop using wool in its products.
One of the protesters, Mason Melito, told CNN shortly after the incident that he did not know who Kolb was until he was ejected from the show. Videos show Kolb appearing to push Melito into a corner and attempt to cover his mouth.
“The violence the CEO of the CFDA showed toward us, in his attempt to silence us, just completely mirrors the violence inherent in the wool industry,” said the 22-year-old, who described himself as a senior PETA campaigner.
Protesters Consider Legal Action
PETA said the protesters were “filing a police report and plan to pursue criminal charges”. However, Melito said they were “just considering our options right now”.
He added that what they really wanted was to speak with Kolb.
Why Did PETA Protest The COS Show?
PETA said the protest was part of its campaign against wool and H&M Group’s use of the material.
The group has alleged that H&M Group is linked to a South African wool facility that it secretly filmed and accused of treating sheep cruelly. PETA also claimed that the facility had been certified by Nativa, an ethical fibre industry standard used by the Swedish retail giant.
A PETA spokesperson alleged that the facility sells wool to an auction house used by H&M Group. However, the investigation did not find evidence explicitly linking the farm to H&M Group’s products.
Neither H&M Group nor Nativa’s parent company, Chargeurs, immediately responded to a request for comment.
H&M Group has shared its goal of ensuring that 100 per cent of the wool it uses comes from certified responsible wool farms, recycled sources or is replaced with non-animal fibres by 2026.
CFDA’s Fur Ban Does Not Cover Wool
The CFDA, which represents more than 300 designers and labels, organises New York Fashion Week and hosts an annual awards ceremony.
Kolb has served as the organisation’s CEO since 2011.
In December last year, the CFDA announced a ban on animal fur at New York Fashion Week. The move, however, does not cover wool or other products derived from shorn animal hair.
PETA had welcomed the fur ban at the time. The organisation has a long history of protests at fashion events, including a naked demonstration at Oscar de la Renta’s New York Fashion Week runway show in 1991.
COS Show Continues Despite Protest
COS has been a regular fixture at New York Fashion Week since making its debut in 2022.
The brand’s Fall-Winter 2026 show continued despite the interruption, with celebrities including Lupita Nyong’o, Sharon Stone, John Boyega and Michelle Williams attending the event at the WSA Building in downtown Manhattan.
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