Steven Kolb, president and CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), said he is voluntarily taking a leave of absence after video captured him grabbing an animal rights activist and covering her mouth during a show at New York Fashion Week, NBC News reported.
The footage shows Kolb grabbing a PETA representative who was protesting COS’s use of wool during the show. He pulled the woman away from the runway, covered her mouth with his hand and pinned her to the floor, using his leg to hold her down.
Kolb later apologized for his actions and said he takes full responsibility for what happened.
“What happened is completely out of character for me — both as a person and as a leader. Watching the video, I understand why it has prompted such a strong reaction. Honestly, I don’t recognize myself in that person. That is why I am voluntarily taking a leave of absence and seeking professional help to ensure that something like this never happens again,” he said.
PETA said Kolb “attacked” two of its activists.
According to the organization, Kolb “aggressively grabbed one of the protesters, pinned her to the floor, wrapped his leg around her and covered her mouth and nose with his hands” as she shouted: “Sheep are beaten and abused for their wool.”
PETA also alleged that Kolb pushed and grabbed a second activist who was filming the protest before covering his face with his hand. That episode was not captured in the video of Kolb that was published.
“Kolb responded aggressively to peaceful protesters, effectively confirming PETA’s concerns about a fashion industry that we accuse of senseless cruelty,” said Moira Colley, PETA’s senior director of media relations.
She said the organization plans to meet with Kolb and show him footage from 17 PETA investigations into wool production. The organization claims the videos document incidents in which sheep are beaten, kicked and cut.
Kolb said he accepted PETA’s invitation to meet and plans to personally apologize to both protesters.
“There is no excuse for physically restraining another person. In this situation, security should have handled everything, and I should have stepped aside. Nothing about what happened justifies my actions,” he said.
Swedish company H&M Group, which owns the COS brand, also commented on the incident on Monday.
“There was an unfortunate incident at the COS show, and the safety of our guests, models and event staff has always been our top priority,” the company said in a statement.
Addressing PETA’s allegations regarding the sourcing of the wool, H&M Group said the brand purchases animal-derived fibers only from certified farms and, whenever possible, uses recycled materials, depending on their quality and availability.
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