PETA Protestor Crashes NYFW Show, Gets Reality Check From Fed Up Fashion Exec

Steven Kolb, head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, appeared to physically restrain two PETA protesters at a runway show Sept. 13.

The incident unfolded during the COS runway show at New York Fashion Week and was widely shared across social media.

As models walked the runway showcasing the COS Fall/Winter 2026 collection, a group of activists from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) emerged holding signs and shouting in protest of the brand, which is owned by Swedish retailer H&M. Kolb responded by placing his hand over one male protester’s mouth and physically restraining a female activist.

Kolb was seen pushing a male protester, identified by CNN as Mason Melito, away from the runway and smothering his mouth with his hands.

He wrestled a female activist shouting “get wool off the runway” to the ground and pinned her on the floor with his legs while covering her mouth with his hands. Stunned attendees looked on amid the chaotic scene.

“The violence the CEO of the CFDA showed toward us, in his attempt to silence us, just completely mirrors the violence inherent in the wool industry,” said 22-year-old Melito, according to CNN.

The CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Steve Kolb, was filmed wrestling with and smothering the faces of PETA activists during a New York Fashion Week show, where protesters demanded an end to the use of wool on runways. pic.twitter.com/Y0bd9n0Xei

PETA said the protesters will be “filing a police report and plan to pursue criminal charges,” although Melito said “we are just considering our options right now,” according to CNN.

Kolb addressed the incident in an Instagram Stories post Sunday. (RELATED: Female Athletes Sound Off Against Sydney Sweeney’s Racy Sports Campaign)

“I reacted inappropriately to an incident at a show earlier today. It wasn’t my place to do so. I should have let the security team handle the situation,” he said, according to CNN.