Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers, apologized after restraining two protesters during a New York Fashion Week event. The incident occurred at the COS show where Kolb physically restrained and covered the mouth of one male protester and forcibly held down a female protester. Following public backlash, Kolb was placed on leave by the CFDA, which hosts NYFW, pending an internal review.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
A fashion CEO has apologized after restraining two protesters at a New York Fashion Week show.
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CEO → apologize → show
Steven Kolb, the CEO and President of the Council of Fashion Designers, grabbed a protester at the COS fashion show on Sunday.
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Kolb → grab → Sunday
Footage released by PETA showed Kolb gripping a protester by his face, appearing to cover his mouth as he shouted a slogan.
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he → release → slogan
The video also shows Kolb dragging a female protester to the ground, before clamping a hand over her mouth.
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Kolb → show → mouth
Then, while sitting down, Kolb appears to place a leg over her body.
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Kolb → sit → body
I take full responsibility for my actions,” Kolb wrote on his Instagram story, “I take full responsibility for my actions.
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I → take → actions
I apologize to them and to everyone who witnessed the incident.”
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who → apologize → incident
Kolb added, “There is no justification for physically restraining another person.
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Kolb → add → person
Security should have handled the situation, and I should have stepped back.”
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I → handle → situation
The CEO has since been placed on leave from the CFDA, which hosts New York Fashion Week.
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which → place → Week
It is launching a review into the incident.
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It → launch → incident
“The CFDA takes this matter very seriously and, as a result, Mr Kolb will be on leave pending review,” a spokesperson told The New York Times.
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spokesperson → take → Times
“The CFDA as an organization is committed to working with dissenting voices to find commonality and is engaged in efforts to move the American fashion industry forward while upholding the values of our membership.”
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CFDA → commit → membership
In his apology, Kolb described his leave as “voluntary” and said that he was meeting with a “professional to ensure it never happens again.”
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it → describe → professional
“What happened was completely out of character for me, both personally and as a leader,” he wrote.
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he → happen → leader
In a post on Facebook, PETA revealed that the protest was focused on conditions endured by sheep in the wool industry.
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protest → reveal → industry
“He spoke out for sheep who are forcibly restrained, roughly shorn, and ultimately sent to slaughter for wool - then experienced violent restraint himself,” the organization wrote, referring to the protester.
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organization → speak → protester
The organization, which was founded in 1980 and campaigns for animal rights issues, also asked Kolb to watch footage allegedly detailing abuse endured by sheep.
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which → found → sheep
“Now, we're asking Kolb to meet with us and watch footage from our 17 wool industry exposés that document the abuse sheep endure,” a PETA spokesperson wrote.
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spokesperson → ask → abuse
On his Instagram story, Kolb apologized again and said that he hopes to be able to apologize to those whom he restrained.
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he → apologize → whom
“I have accepted an invitation from PETA to meet and discuss their concerns, and I hope to have the opportunity to apologize in person to the two individuals who did not deserve that treatment,” he wrote.
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he → accept → treatment
During Kolb’s tenure as CEO, the CFDA announced it was banning the use of fur in any collections featured on New York Fashion Week’s schedule.
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it → announce → schedule
At the time, Kolb cheered the move.
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Kolb → cheer → move
“There is already little to no fur shown at NYFW, but by taking this position, the CFDA hopes to inspire American designers to think more deeply about the fashion industry’s impact on animals,” Kolb wrote.
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Kolb → be → animals
According to his Substack account, he also follows a vegetarian diet.
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he → accord → diet
The Independent has contacted H&M Group, which owns COS, and the CFDA for comment.
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which → contact → comment
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