New York fashion chief quits after physical clash with Peta activists goes viral

The long-time chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced he was stepping down, days after he was filmed physically restraining two protesters during an altercation at a New York runway show.

“I am enormously proud of what we have built together and believe this is the right moment for both me and the organisation to begin a new chapter,” Steven Kolb said in a statement on Friday.

Kolb is stepping down after two decades leading the council, which is known as the fashion industry’s main trade organisation.