New York Fashion Week got messy in a way nobody had on their bingo card. During the Cos show on Sunday, PETA protesters showed up with an anti-wool message, and things turned physical fast. Video circulating online shows CFDA president Steven Kolb wrestling a demonstrator to the ground and covering another protester’s mouth, while Cos managing director Daniel Herrmann was seen grabbing a female protester’s arm.
The consequences were immediate. The CFDA suspended Kolb, who apologized on Instagram saying he reacted inappropriately and should have let the security team handle it. H&M, Cos’s parent company, says it’s investigating the incident with the teams involved and acknowledged it should not have escalated. PETA is preparing a police report and has requested a meeting with Kolb.
Behind the scenes, the fashion world is split. Anna Wintour is reportedly likely to support Kolb, former CFDA chair Diane von Furstenberg called the situation sad, and designer Dennis Basso defended Kolb’s intent. It’s a collision of animal rights activism, corporate responsibility, and one very bad judgment call. So we want to know: do you think Kolb’s suspension was the right call, or did he get thrown under the bus?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.