CFDA boss apologizes for acting ‘inappropriately’ against protesters at New York Fashion Week show

The head of American fashion’s leading trade association has apologized for reacting “inappropriately” after an altercation with animal rights protesters at a runway show. The CEO and president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Steven Kolb, was filmed appearing to physically restrain two activists who interrupted a New York Fashion Week presentation on Sunday. Videos show Kolb grabbing the protestors, snatching at 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, whom he appeared to pin to the floor as models continued walking the runway at Swedish brand COS’s Fall-Winter 2026 show. Posting on Instagram Stories shortly after the incident, Kolb wrote: “I reacted inappropriately to an incident at a show earlier today. It wasn’t my place to do so. I should have let the security team handle the situation.” Neither he nor the CFDA responded to CNN’s request for further comment. In a statement, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said its activists had been “assaulted” by Kolb. The group said it had targeted COS as part of an ongoing campaign to pressure the label’s parent company, H&M Group, to cease using wool in its products. In a phone interview shortly after the incident, one of the protesters, Mason Melito, told CNN he had been unaware of who Kolb was until after he was ejected from the show. Videos show Kolb appearing to push Melito into a corner and attempting 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, describing himself as a senior campaigner with PETA. In a press release, PETA said the protesters are “filing a police report and plan to pursue criminal charges,” though Melito said they are “just considering our options right now.” He added: “What we really want to do is talk to Mr. Kolb.” Counting more than 300 designers and labels among its members, the CFDA organizes New York Fashion Week, which concludes Tuesday, and hosts an annual awards ceremony dubbed the “Oscars of Fashion.” Kolb has served as the organization’s CEO since 2011. Last December, the CFDA announced that it was banning animal fur at New York Fashion Week, although this does not include wool or other products derived from shorn animal hairs. The move was, at the time, welcomed by PETA, which famously staged a naked protest at Oscar de la Renta’s New York Fashion Week runway show in 1991 as part of its long-running “I’d rather go naked” campaign. PETA has alleged that H&M Group is linked to a South African wool facility that it secretly filmed treating sheep cruelly. The nonprofit group says the facility has been certified by Nativa, an ethical fiber industry standard used by the Swedish retail giant. A PETA spokesperson also alleged that the facility sells wool to an auction house used by H&M Group. The investigation did not find evidence explicitly linking the farm to the H&M Group’s products. Neither H&M Group nor Nativa’s parent company, Chargeurs, immediately responded to CNN’s request for comment. H&M Group has shared its goal of ensuring 100% of all wool used will come from certified responsible wool farms, recycled sources or replaced with non-animal fibers by 2026. COS has become a regular fixture at New York Fashion Week since debuting in 2022. Celebrities including Lupita Nyong’o, Sharon Stone, John Boyega and Michelle Williams attended at the WSA Building in downtown Manhattan for this season’s show, which continued despite the interruption.