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Associated Press

The long-time chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced he was stepping down, days after he was filmed physically restraining two protesters during an altercation at a New York runway show.
“I am enormously proud of what we have built together and believe this is the right moment for both me and the organisation to begin a new chapter,” Steven Kolb said in a statement on Friday.
Kolb is stepping down after two decades leading the council, which is known as the fashion industry’s main trade organisation.
The incident on Sunday involved the top fashion executive forcibly restraining two employees of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) and putting his hands over their mouths at the runway show for Cos, a brand owned by H&M. It quickly stunned many in the fashion world.
Kolb, who is well known and respected in the New York fashion world, apologised for his actions on Monday and announced he was taking a leave from his job pending an investigation.

“There is no justification for physically restraining another person,” he said at the time. “Security should have handled the situation, and I should have stepped back.”
Kolb’s physical confrontation with the activists led to a widespread backlash, with Peta on Sunday saying his actions “show how top people in fashion use violence to silence people” advocating for animal rights.
The CFDA board, led by Thom Browne and including designers such as Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors, described Kolb as a “dedicated leader and tireless champion of American fashion”.
“We respect Steven’s decision to step down and are grateful for his many years of leadership and service to the CFDA and our industry,” it said in a statement on social media.
The CFDA did not name a successor.
Moira Colley, senior director of media relations for Peta in New York, said earlier in the week that the group planned to meet Kolb to discuss ending the use of wool and animal skins in clothing.

The organisation had initially planned on filing a police report against Kolb, but changed course after visiting police and consulting lawyers.
After Kolb’s announcement on Friday, Peta issued a statement saying the group still planned to meet him and “hopefully others in the industry will meet and take meaningful steps to stop this epidemic of cruelty to animals”.
The group also recognised Kolb’s previous involvement in getting fur banned from runway shows on the CFDA schedule.
Andrija Barak had been trying to disrupt the runway show on Sunday, calling out slogans about the use of wool. In the video, Kolb is seen covering her mouth with his hands and restraining her with both his arms and a leg over her body as he seeks to let the show continue.
he is seen pushing Mason Melito and also putting his hands over his mouth.
Additional reporting by Reuters


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The top fashion executive is seen forcibly restraining two Peta protesters and putting his hands over their mouths at a Cos runway show


The top fashion executive is seen forcibly restraining two Peta protesters and putting his hands over their mouths at a Cos runway show.


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New York fashion chief quits after physical clash with Peta activists goes viral

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The top fashion executive is seen forcibly restraining two Peta protesters and putting his hands over their mouths at a Cos runway show

The top fashion executive is seen forcibly restraining two Peta protesters and putting his hands over their mouths at a Cos runway show