Fashion council president grabs PETA protester at New York Fashion Week

The CEO and president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America was captured on video grabbing an animal rights protester and covering her mouth during a New York Fashion Week runway show Sunday.

In the video, which NBC News viewed, Steven Kolb grabbed the person from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals who was protesting the use of wool by fashion designer COS at its runway show. He then pulled the protester to the side of the runway, covering her mouth and using his leg to restrain her.

The council and Kolb did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Last year, the council, which is the leading trade organization for the fashion industry, announced that beginning with the September 2026 New York Fashion Week, animal fur will no longer be permitted at any of the fashion week’s events. The announcement did not mention wool.

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PETA protester restrained by fashion CEO

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PETA said in a statement that two of its protesters were “assaulted” by Kolb.

Kolb allegedly “violently grabbed one protester, held her to the floor, wrapped a leg around her, and covered her mouth and nose with his hands as she shouted, ‘Sheep bloodied and beaten for wool,’” according to a statement from the animal rights group.

“Kolb also shoved and grabbed a second PETA member who was filming the catwalk takeover and covered his face with his hand,” PETA said. This was not shown in the video with Kolb.

Moira Colley, the senior director of media relations at PETA, said in an email to NBC News that Kolb “reacted aggressively to peaceful protesters, thereby endorsing PETA’s complaint that the fashion industry is unthinkingly violent.”

“Perhaps due to internal criticism, he has apologized for his behavior and now PETA will explore a meeting with him and ask him to watch footage from our 17 exposés of the wool industry showing sheep being punched, kicked, and cut to ribbons for wool in the hope that he’ll realize something must be done,” she wrote.

H&M group, the Swedish parent company of COS, had previously said that by the end of 2025, its goal was to ensure that 100% of all wool it used came from farms certified to the Responsible Wool Standard, came from recycled or regenerated sources, or would be replaced with other sustainable, non-animal fibers.

Kolb said in a statement during CFDA’s announcement banning animal fur last year that it hoped “to inspire American designers to think more deeply about the fashion industry’s impact on animals.”

“Consumers are moving away from products associated with animal cruelty, and we want to position American fashion as a leader on those fronts, while also driving material innovation,” he said.