Steven Kolb, president and chief executive officer of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, got in the middle of a PETA protest at the Cos show Sunday afternoon.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals protesters stormed the show at WSA at 175 Water Street. Multiple activists made their way down the runway, either holding a sign that said, “Sheep Beaten and Bloodied for Wool. Don’t Buy It,” or yelling about Cos’ use of sheep’s wool for its clothing.
Kolb tried to restrain one of the protesters, pulling her to the floor, covering her mouth, and trying to keep her down while she screamed, “Get sheep off the runway.” She pulled herself away and walked out protesting. Kolb also pushed another protester who was screaming about getting wool off the runway, covering the protester’s mouth and pulling a banner out of his hands, until he was escorted out.
Reached for comment after the show, Kolb said through a statement, “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.”
The show kept going on as the five or six protesters walked down the runway intermittently among the models, ...