CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) President and CEO Stephen Kolb, has been placed on leave following an incident involving PETA protesters at the COS runway show during New York Fashion Week on September 13.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America has placed its President and CEO, Steven Kolb, on leave following an incident at the COS Spring/Summer 2027 show during New York Fashion Week.
The incident took place on Sunday, September 13, when PETA protesters interrupted the COS runway presentation at the WSA building in New York. Video footage released by PETA shows several protesters entering the runway area while models continued walking. The activists were protesting the use of wool in fashion and calling on COS and its parent company, H&M Group, to stop using the material.
Kolb, who was attending the show, became involved in the disruption. Footage shows him physically restraining two protesters during the incident. The CFDA has since announced that he will remain on leave while the organization conducts a full review.
What Happened at the COS Show
PETA organized the protest as part of its campaign against the use of wool. According to the organization, its supporters entered the COS show to draw attention to what it describes as cruelty within the wool industry.
The protesters carried signs referring to sheep and wool production, while some entered the runway as the presentation was underway. PETA’s footage shows Kolb approaching one of the protesters and physically restraining her on the floor. He is also seen intervening with another protester.
PETA has characterized the encounter as an assault and has criticized Kolb’s actions. Those descriptions are PETA’s characterization of the incident; the footage itself shows Kolb physically intervening with the protesters.
The protest was specifically directed at the use of wool. PETA’s wider campaign calls on H&M to stop selling wool and references investigations into wool-production facilities that the organization says have documented mistreatment of sheep.
Steven Kolb Responds
Following the incident, Kolb acknowledged that he had intervened and said he should have allowed security to handle the situation.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Kolb described his response as inappropriate and apologized for physically restraining the protesters. He also said that his actions were wrong and that he took responsibility for what happened.
Kolb subsequently said he would take voluntary leave and seek professional help. He also agreed to meet with PETA to discuss the organization’s concerns.
His response came shortly after footage of the incident began circulating online, shifting attention from the original protest to the actions of one of the most senior figures in American fashion.
The CFDA Places Kolb on Leave
On September 14, the CFDA announced that Kolb would be placed on leave pending a full review of the incident.
The organization said it was taking the matter seriously and reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with dissenting voices while maintaining respectful engagement with differing viewpoints.
The review comes at a particularly visible moment for the CFDA. The organization describes itself as a not-for-profit trade association representing American fashion designers, and it solely owns and organizes the Fashion Calendar and Official New York Fashion Week Schedule.
Kolb has served as the organization’s President and CEO for years, making his involvement in the incident especially significant for the institution responsible for the official NYFW schedule.
A Protest About Wool at a Major NYFW Show
The confrontation also places the incident within a larger discussion about animal materials in fashion.
PETA’s campaign against H&M and COS is specifically focused on wool. The organization says it wants H&M to remove wool from its collections and has connected its campaign to investigations into wool-production facilities.
The CFDA has separately taken steps concerning animal materials this season. Its 2026 New York Fashion Week policy prohibits the promotion of fur from animals killed specifically for their pelts. That policy concerns fur and is separate from the wool-focused protest at COS.
For now, however, the immediate issue facing the CFDA is the conduct of its President and CEO.
Kolb remains on leave while the organization reviews the incident. No outcome from that review has been announced.
The COS show itself continued after the disruption. What happened during those few minutes has since become one of the most closely watched incidents of the September 2026 New York Fashion Week calendar, placing the leadership of the organization behind the official schedule under scrutiny at a moment when the fashion industry is already facing increasingly visible questions about animal welfare and protest.
The CFDA’s review will determine what happens next for Kolb. Until then, the organization has made clear that the matter remains under consideration.