Photo via The Straits Times

US fashion council CEO takes leave after grabbing runway show protesters

Read the original at The Straits Times ↗
Cite

The Straits Times. (2026, September 15). US fashion council CEO takes leave after grabbing runway show protesters. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/us-fashion-council-ceo-takes-leave-after-grabbing-runway-show-protesters

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

The Straits Times · collected 2026-09-15 · by The Straits Times

Quick Summary

Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, has taken an indefinite leave after physically restraining protesters at the H&M-owned COS runway show during New York Fashion Week on September 13. Videos circulating online showed Kolb grabbing and covering the mouth of one protester while others were protesting the brand's use of sheep’s wool. In a statement, Kolb apologized for his actions and expressed regret that security should have managed the situation instead. The CFDA confirmed they are conducting a full review while PETA is calling on H&M and COS to ban wool from their collections.
Written by AI on 2026-09-16, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Steven Kolb, CEO and president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), physically restrained PETA protesters during a New York Fashion Week event on September 10. Video footage showed Kolb forcefully holding down one protester and covering their mouth while another was pushed away. The incident occurred at a runway show for COS, an H&M-owned brand known for using wool in its designs.

Following the viral video, Kolb apologized and took leave pending internal review by CFDA. On September 15, he officially resigned from his position after two decades with the organization, citing it as "the right moment for both me and the organisation to begin a new chapter." PETA has since requested meetings with H&M and Kolb to discuss animal welfare issues in the wool industry.

The CFDA acknowledged the incident’s severity and launched an investigation. Meanwhile, H&M stated they source animal-derived fibers responsibly, but PETA insists on banning wool from future collections due to perceived cruelty in sheep farming practices.

Written for “Fashion Week Protest Clashes” on 2026-11-05, grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Fashion Week Protest Clashes
Entertainment · 8 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans left and hedges 10% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
US fashion CEO resigns after physically restraining animal rights activists Same event
The Guardian
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 1 of 18 claims Outlet record 66/100
Fashion council president grabs PETA protester at New York Fashion Week Same event
NBC News
Hedges 1 of 14 claims Outlet record 78/100
Fashion CEO apologizes after restraining two protestors at New York Fashion Week event Same event
The Independent
Hedges 2 of 26 claims Outlet record 59/100
H&M honchos to meet with PETA after wild, caught-on-video fracas at NYFW runway show Same event
New York Post
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 4 of 24 claims Outlet record 66/100
New York fashion chief quits after physical clash with Peta activists goes viral Same event
South China Morning Post
⚖️ Centre further right than this Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 62/100
Fashion executive resigns days after restraining PETA protesters at New York runway show Same event
Daily Mail
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 0 of 16 claims Outlet record 69/100
CFDA CEO Steven Kolb resigns after tackling protesters at NYFW show Same event
New York Post
Hedges 0 of 23 claims Outlet record 66/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
10
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
10%
1 of 10 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
66/100
The Straits Times's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
8
Entertainment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-16 · source text last changed 2026-09-16 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Straits Times · 4440 article(s) · 5 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 5 correction(s)
2026-10-30
Number of residents leaving Oleshky still unclear, Kyiv says
2026-10-21
X Community Notes ‘failed’ to flag US election falsehoods, study says
2026-10-04
Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed execution
2026-10-03
US prison chief resigns after failed execution of death row inmate Christa Pike
2026-09-13
Russia hits Ukrainian-Polish border area, Kyiv says

Who wrote this

The Straits Times
2924 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction
🔮 Carney has argued that relations between Canada and the United States have been permanently altered and that pre-Trump tariff-free relations will not return.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Canada unveils budget to curb reliance on US
🔮 But sources said Trump could still replace Hegseth as Republicans assess their losses.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · Trump says Hegseth doing ‘a very good job’ as questions swirl about Defense Secretary’s future
🔮 Democrats will now have the power to block Trump’s legislation, investigate his administration and challenge his nominees.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · US midterms: Republicans call for Trump to change course after midterm drubbing
🔮 NASA said it expected the frictional heat of re-entry would incinerate most of the satellite well above Earth’s surface, with some fragments surviving the plunge, though the US space agency reported no damage or injuries on the ground from falling debris.
2026-11-05 · assertive framing · NASA’s 22-year-old Swift satellite telescope falls from orbit in fiery finale
🔮 Still, their initial enthusiasm failed to manifest at the polls on Nov 3, after the town’s mayor and local chamber of commerce urged voters to reject the measure.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · US midterms: Only one town out of dozens in US voted in favour of data centres
🔮 The ability of newly elected officials to shape legislation, control congressional committee agendas, direct government spending and influence party leadership will depend on the institutions they enter, the coalitions they build and the balance of power within their parties, political experts said.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · Democratic victories bring historic breakthroughs for women and minorities
🔮 The events on Nov 4 marked the opening salvos in the coming fight over how Republicans will rebuild their party ahead of the next election.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · US midterms: Republican blame game starts as 2028 hopefuls angle for position
🔮 Within hours of projections on the night of Nov 3 that Republicans would lose control of the US House and Senate, Democrats were enthusiastic about launching investigations into President Donald Trump and the people and companies in his orbit.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · US midterms: Democrats’ warning to ‘lawyer up’ ripples through Washington
🔮 Instead of helping candidates cruise to victory, in some races the flood of money may have ended up galvanising the opposition.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · US midterms: Spending binge by Musk, crypto and AI hit voter wall
🔮 Campaign mailers suggested he had ties to terrorists and warned that, if elected, he would bring sharia law to Michigan.
2026-11-04 · assertive framing · US midterms: Politics of fear failed to stop El-Sayed’s historic US Senate win
Also by The Straits Times
Canada unveils budget to curb reliance on US
2026-11-05 · The Straits Times
Citi employee killed in shooting at Florida office, suspect dead
2026-11-05 · The Straits Times
Trump says Hegseth doing ‘a very good job’ as questions swirl about Defense Secretary’s future
2026-11-05 · The Straits Times
Israel’s president holds crucial cards in breaking post-election deadlock
2026-11-05 · The Straits Times
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 2924 articles by The Straits Times →

Topics

COS H&M New York Fashion Week PETA Reuters

Subjects

H&M ORG · 4× Kolb PERSON · 4× COS ORG · 2× PETA ORG · 2× Reuters ORG · 2× NEW YORK GPE · 1× People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ORG · 1× Steven Kolb PERSON · 1× U.S. GPE · 1× the Council of Fashion Designers of America ORG · 1×

Narrative

CFDA, the organizer of New York Fashion Week, said in a statement on Tuesday that the trade group "takes this matter very seriously" and confirmed that Kolb is on leave pending a "full review." PETA is urging H&M and COS to ban wool from their collections, adding in a statement on Sunday that Kolb's actions "show how top people in fashion use violence to silence people" advocating for animal rights. In a statement, H&M said it only sources animal-derived fibers from certified farms and, where possible, from recycled sources.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-16
2026-09-16 · The Straits Times
US fashion council CEO takes leave after grabbing runway show protesters · assertive framing

Claims (10 extracted, 1 hedged)

US fashion council CEO takes leave after grabbing runway show protesters NEW YORK, Sept 15 - asserted
CEO → take → protesters
The head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America has taken leave from his role after physically restraining animal rights activists at a New York Fashion Week runway show on Sunday, an incident that reverberated online and throughout the city's fashion sector. asserted
that → take → sector
Steven Kolb, CEO of the leading U.S. fashion industry trade group, grabbed at least two activists at H&M-owned COS' runway show while they were protesting the brand's use of sheep's wool. asserted
they → lead → wool
He restrained one activist on the ground and covered her mouth with his hand, according to videos viewed by Reuters that circulated widely online. uncertain
that → restrain → Reuters
Kolb apologized for the incident in a statement on Monday. asserted
Kolb → apologize → Monday
He said he was taking a voluntary leave from work and that he plans to meet with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, the group behind the protest. asserted
he → say → protest
Security should have handled the situation, and I should have stepped back," Kolb said in a statement on his Instagram account. asserted
Kolb → handle → account
CFDA, the organizer of New York Fashion Week, said in a statement on Tuesday that the trade group "takes this matter very seriously" and confirmed that Kolb is on leave pending a "full review." PETA is urging H&M and COS to ban wool from their collections, adding in a statement on Sunday that Kolb's actions "show how top people in fashion use violence to silence people" advocating for animal rights. In a statement, H&M said it only sources animal-derived fibers from certified farms and, where possible, from recycled sources. asserted
it → say → sources
"We are deeply sorry about the incident that occurred in connection with our AW26 show on 13 September," a spokesperson for H&M said in a statement. asserted
spokesperson → occur → statement
"We respect everyone’s right to express their views, and we believe everyone should be treated with care and respect." asserted
everyone → respect → care
💬Give feedback · no sign-in needed

No sign-in needed for now. Your note is sent without a name, so it cannot be answered.

🕘History 🎫Support
Terms · Privacy · beta v2.0.0
Articles to 5 Nov 2026