E-Paper
CFDA CEO Steven Kolb resigns following PETA altercation
Steven Kolb steps down as CFDA CEO after a viral altercation with PETA protesters at NYFW, as similar wool protests disrupt London Fashion Week.
Prefer HTon Google
Steven Kolb resigned as president and CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), organiser of the New York Fashion Week (NYFW), on September 18, following an altercation with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protesters during the recently-concluded fashion gala on September 13.
The altercation took place during the COS runway show, where PETA activists staged a protest against the use of wool. In a video shared by Fashionista, a design and fashion magazine, Kolb was seen physically restraining protesters, wrestling one of them to the ground and covering their mouth with his hand. In another video, he was seen snatching a poster out of a female protester’s hand and covering her mouth with his hand while restraining her using his arms and leg. The video has fetched 506K views on Instagram with many calling him out for using physical force against protesters.
On September 14, Kolb posted an apology on Instagram Stories, calling his actions “completely out of character”, and said he would take voluntary leave to meet with a professional. The CFDA board subsequently placed him on leave, pending a full internal review.
On September 18, Kolb resigned and also shared a note on his Substack. He wrote, “After twenty years leading the CFDA, I have made the difficult decision to step down as CEO and President. I am enormously proud of what we have built together and believe this is the right moment for both me and the organization to begin a new chapter.”
He also thanked CFDA members, designers, board members, staff, partners and supporters, as well as the four chairs he served alongside — Stan Herman, Diane von Furstenberg, Tom Ford and Thom Browne.
In a statement following his resignation, the CFDA said: “We respect Steven’s decision to step down and are grateful for his many years of leadership and service to the CFDA and our industry. He leaves the organization well positioned, with a clear mission and dedicated team, to carry out the important work ahead as we look to the future of American fashion.”
Protests disrupting fashion shows have long been part of PETA’s campaigns against the industry’s use of animal-derived materials, including fur, leather and wool. This was NYFW’s first fur-free edition.
PETA protest at London Fashion Week
The protests have since extended to London Fashion Week, which kickstarted on September 17. On September 17 night, three PETA protesters disrupted H&M’s London runway show to object to the brand’s use of wool. Videos showed protestors walking along the models on the runway. Unlike the incident at COS in New York, the protesters were allowed to leave the runway by security without physical contact.
