{"id":781953,"date":"2026-09-15T09:46:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T13:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/animalrightswatch.us\/?p=781953"},"modified":"2026-09-15T10:06:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T14:06:30","slug":"fashion-council-president-placed-on-leave-after-assaulting-animal-rights-protester-at-fashion-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/animalrightswatch.us\/?p=781953","title":{"rendered":"Fashion council president placed on leave after assaulting animal rights protesters at fashion week"},"content":{"rendered":"

The CEO and president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America said he will voluntarily take a leave of absence after he was captured on video assaulting an animal rights protesters. Steven Kolb grabbed the person from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals [PETA], who was protesting fashion designers’ use of wool at its runway show. Kolb 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, \u2018Sheep bloodied and beaten for wool,’ the animal rights group alleged in a statement. ‘Kolb also shoved and grabbed a second PETA member who was filming the catwalk takeover and covered his face with his hand,’ PETA said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DANIELLA SILVA:<\/strong> The CEO and president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America said he will voluntarily take a leave of absence after he was captured on video grabbing an animal rights protester and covering her mouth during a New York Fashion Week runway show Sunday.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the video, which NBC News viewed, Steven Kolb grabbed the person from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals [PETA], who was protesting fashion designer COS\u2019 use of wool 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…<\/em><\/p>\n

PETA said in a statement that Kolb \u201cassaulted\u201d two of its protesters.<\/em><\/p>\n

Kolb \u201cviolently 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, \u2018Sheep bloodied and beaten for wool,\u2019\u201d the animal rights group alleged in a statement.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cKolb also shoved and grabbed a second PETA member who was filming the catwalk takeover and covered his face with his hand,\u201d PETA said. That was not shown in the video with Kolb.<\/em><\/p>\n

Moira Colley, the senior director of media relations at PETA, said in an emailed statement that Kolb \u201creacted aggressively to peaceful protesters, thereby endorsing PETA\u2019s complaint that the fashion industry is unthinkingly violent”…<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps 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 expos\u00e9s of the wool industry showing sheep being punched, kicked, and cut to ribbons for wool in the hope that he\u2019ll realize something must be done,\u201d she wrote.<\/em><\/p>\n

Kolb said in his statement that he has accepted PETA\u2019s invitation to meet and discuss its concerns. He added that he intends to use the meeting to apologize to the two protesters in person…<\/em><\/p>\n

The company said that after an investigation into PETA\u2019s allegations, licenses for one wool farm and one mohair farm \u201chave been suspended, and these farms are no longer permitted to sell certified materials”…<\/em><\/p>\n

Kolb said in a statement during its announcement banning animal fur last year that CFDA hoped \u201cto inspire American designers to think more deeply about the fashion industry\u2019s impact on animals.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cConsumers 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,\u201d he said. SOURCE<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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