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Steven Kolb, the president and CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, was filmed physically restraining animal rights activists during a New York Fashion Week show on Sunday (September 13), after protesters stormed the runway at COS’s Fall-Winter 2026 presentation in Manhattan. Videos circulating online show Kolb grabbing protestors, pulling away their printed signs, covering their mouths with his hands, and pinning one activist to the floor as models continued to walk the runway. Protesters shouted slogans such as “get wool off the runway now,” targeting COS for its use of wool and urging its parent company, H&M Group, to ban the material.
According to CNN, Kolb later apologized for his actions, stating on Instagram Stories: “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.” The CFDA echoed his sentiment, saying that disruptions should be managed by security professionals.
The activists, affiliated with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said they were assaulted and are considering filing criminal charges. PETA has long criticized the wool industry, alleging cruelty at facilities linked to H&M Group, although investigations have not directly tied these practices to H&M’s products. H&M has stated it aims to use only certified or recycled wool, or non-animal alternatives, by 2026. COS has been a regular at New York Fashion Week since 2022, and the interrupted show was attended by celebrities including Lupita Nyong’o, Sharon Stone, John Boyega, and Michelle Williams.
Security ultimately removed the protesters, and the show continued. The incident comes after the CFDA banned animal fur at New York Fashion Week last December, a move welcomed by PETA, but the ban does not include wool or other animal hair products. New York Fashion Week is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday.