At Sunday’s Cos show, protesters from the animal rights group Peta stormed the runway to demonstrate against the use of sheep’s wool in clothing. Peta has called on H&M Group, which owns Cos, to stop selling wool, arguing that sheep are abused during shearing. Peta has protested fashion shows before, but tensions rose when Steven Kolb, CEO and president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), physically restrained two protesters in a video that quickly spread online.

Kolb posted a statement about the incident on his Instagram Stories that afternoon. “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,” it read. He has since made his account private.

“Mr. Kolb acknowledged fully that he responded inappropriately in the moment, and that the matter should have been handled by security. The CFDA agrees that these disruptions should be handled by the security professionals in place,” the CFDA said in a statement on Monday.

Many in the fashion community were uncomfortable with how Kolb handled the situation. Consultant Simon Whitehouse, who was CEO of JW Anderson from 2014 to 2018, posted on Instagram that the videos made him feel “deeply uncomfortable, triggered,” and used the incident to call for intervention and mediation in the fashion industry, especially around the climate crisis. Other fashion figures, including editors Blake Abbie and Susie Lau, showed support on the anonymous fashion account Boring Not Com’s post criticizing Kolb’s response, which also argued that both sides were in the wrong.

One editor, while not condoning the response, pointed out in the comments of a video about the incident that attendees didn’t initially know the loud shouts were from Peta protesters, and noted that the provocation was “unnecessarily startling,” especially in a Financial District building on the weekend of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

In a comment on the same video, Peta responded: “They attacked the messenger, but they can’t silence the truth. When people try to use violence to silence those exposing how sheep are beaten, bloodied, and killed for scarves and sweaters, it only underscores the cruelty behind the industry. We will never back down until wool is off the runway.”

Peta protesters have long targeted fashion’s use of fur and leather. Coach has increased show security, requiring QR codes and checking attendees’ IDs in the past, after multiple runway shows were interrupted by leather protesters. The organization’s fur protests have also been effective, with this season marking the first that NYFW has officially banned fur in collections. That wool — a natural material — is now being targeted surprised many spectators.

The Cos protest is the first time fashion week protesters have targeted wool, and it follows an April 2026 Peta Asia investigation that exposed workers reportedly kicking, beating, and dragging sheep at a South Africa wool farm, one of 17 exposés the organization has released on the wool industry.

More from this author: Who Said Retail Is Dead? Here Are the Store Openings During NYFW; CEO Graziano de Boni on Building DVF for the Next Generation; Which New York Shopper Are You — and Which One Is Your Customer?

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of frequently asked questions about the clash between the CFDA and PETA protesters at New York Fashion Week

What exactly happened at New York Fashion Week
PETA protesters disrupted a CFDA event to protest the use of animal fur and leather Security removed them and the CFDA criticized the disruption as inappropriate

What does CFDA stand for
The Council of Fashion Designers of America It is a trade group that organizes New York Fashion Week and supports American designers

What is PETA
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals It is an animal rights group that opposes using animals for clothing food and testing

Why were PETA protesters at Fashion Week
They wanted to pressure designers to stop using fur leather and other animal materials Fashion Week gives them a large public audience

What did the protesters do
They walked onto the runway or into the venue with signs and shouted slogans Some wore clothing with antifur messages

How did the CFDA respond
The CFDA said the protest disrupted a professional event and disrespected designers and guests It defended the right to free speech but not the method

Was anyone arrested
In similar past incidents some protesters were escorted out or arrested for trespassing It depends on the specific event and security rules

Is this the first time PETA has protested Fashion Week
No PETA has disrupted fashion events for decades including in New York London and Paris

What is the main disagreement between the two sides
The CFDA supports designers freedom to choose materials PETA argues that using animals for fashion is cruel and unnecessary

Do all designers use fur
No Many major brands have gone furfree But some still use leather wool or exotic skins which PETA also opposes

What is a furfree policy
A commitment by a brand to stop selling or using real animal fur in its products

Why do some people still wear fur
Supporters say it is warm durable and traditional Critics say synthetic alternatives work just as well and avoid animal suffering

Did the protest change anything
It raised public awareness Some brands have dropped fur after similar campaigns but the CFDA did not change its stance

What are common problems with these protests
They can turn public opinion against the cause if they seem disruptive