The Organization Will Conduct A Full Review After Its President Physically Intervened With PETA Protesters Who Disrupted The Cos Runway Show During New York Fashion Week
The Council of Fashion Designers of America has placed its President Steven Kolb on leave pending a full review following his physical confrontation with PETA protesters who disrupted the COS runway show during New York Fashion Week on Sunday.
The decision follows widespread circulation of video showing Kolb attempting to physically restrain activists after several protesters entered the runway at WSA at 175 Water Street to protest COS’ use of wool.
“The CFDA takes this matter very seriously, and as a result, Mr. Kolb will be on leave pending a full review,” the organization said in a statement. “The CFDA as an organization is committed to working with dissenting voices to find commonality and is engaged in efforts to move the American fashion industry forward while upholding the values of our membership, including respectful engagement with differing viewpoints.”
Video from the incident (filmed by The Impression and shared on Instagram) shows Kolb pulling one protester to the ground and attempting to restrain her while covering her mouth. He later confronted another protester, pushing him against a window, covering his mouth and removing a banner from his hands before the activist was escorted from the venue.
The protesters were part of a group of approximately five or six activists who intermittently entered the runway during the show carrying signs and shouting objections to the use of wool. Security removed the protesters while the runway presentation continued.
Shortly after the incident, Kolb acknowledged that he should not have become physically involved.
“I reacted inappropriately to an incident at a show earlier today,” Kolb said in a statement. “It wasn’t my place to do so. I should have let the security team handle the situation.”
The confrontation quickly moved beyond the disruption itself as video circulated online, prompting criticism of Kolb’s actions and calls for the CFDA to respond. Mason Melito, one of the protesters involved in the incident, told The New York Times that he planned to file a police report against Kolb.
The decision to place Kolb on leave is particularly consequential given his position at the center of the American fashion industry. Kolb joined the CFDA in 2006 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2011. During his two decades with the organization, he has become one of the industry’s most visible institutional leaders, overseeing programs including the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and the annual CFDA Awards.
His leave now places the CFDA itself at the center of the controversy. While the protesters’ disruption created a difficult situation for show organizers, Kolb’s own statement acknowledged the fundamental issue raised by the video: physically intervening was not his responsibility, particularly with security personnel present to manage the disruption.
The CFDA has not indicated how long its review will take or what further action could follow. For now, Kolb will remain on leave while the organization examines an incident that has raised broader questions about leadership, protest, and appropriate responses to dissent within the fashion industry.