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The head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America has taken leave from ​his role after physically restraining animal rights activists at a New ‌York Fashion Week runway show on Sunday, an incident that reverberated online and throughout the city’s fashion sector.

Steven Kolb, CEO of the leading US fashion industry trade group, grabbed at ​least two activists at H&M-owned COS’ runway show while they were protesting ​the brand’s use of sheep’s wool. He restrained one activist on ⁠the ground and covered her mouth with his hand, according to videos viewed ​by Reuters that circulated widely online.

Kolb apologised for the incident in a statement ​on Monday. He said he was taking a voluntary leave from work and that he plans to meet with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or Peta, the group behind ​the protest.

“There is no justification for physically restraining another person. Security should have ​handled the situation, and I should have stepped back,” Kolb said in a statement on his Instagram ⁠account.

CFDA, the organiser of New York Fashion Week, said in a statement on Tuesday that the trade group “takes this matter very seriously” and confirmed that Kolb is on leave pending a “full review.”

Peta is urging H&M and COS to ban wool ​from their collections, adding ​in a statement ⁠on Sunday that Kolb’s actions “show how top people in fashion use violence to silence people” advocating for animal rights.

In a ​statement, H&M said it only sources animal-derived fibres from certified ​farms and, ⁠where possible, from recycled sources.

“We are deeply sorry about the incident that occurred in connection with our AW26 show on 13 September,” a spokesperson for H&M said in ⁠a ​statement. “We respect everyone’s right to express their views, ​and we believe everyone should be treated with care and respect.”

The incident comes after the CFDA marked a milestone in animal rights protection, holding the first ever New York Fashion Week without the use of fur. The New York Times reported some members of the organisation’s board were aggrieved by the protesters for staging a demonstration so soon after a major win.

This scandal also comes on the heels of another major fashion controversy involving the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute’s yearly exhibition and charity benefit — the Met Gala.

The theme chosen for the 2027 exhibition was the work of British designer John Galliano. It was subsequently dropped a month later amid outcry over the designer’s chequered past involving a conviction for anti-Asian and antisemitism abuse which lost him his job at Dior.