CFDA CEO placed on leave after restraining protesters at fashion show

Steven Kolb, the chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, has been placed on leave following a physical altercation with animal rights protesters during New York Fashion Week. The incident occurred on September 13, 2026, during a runway show for the fashion brand COS, a subsidiary of H&M Group. Video footage from the event shows Kolb physically restraining at least two protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) who had disrupted the show to protest the use of wool. In the video, Kolb is seen grabbing one protester, pulling her to the ground, covering her mouth, and using his leg to restrain her. He also appears to cover the mouth of a second protester. The CFDA announced on September 15 that Kolb would be on leave pending a full review of the incident. In a statement, the organization said it "takes this matter very seriously" and is "committed to working with dissenting voices to find commonality." Kolb issued a public apology, stating he "reacted inappropriately" and that there is "no justification for physically restraining another person.