NEW YORK – Steven Kolb, the chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the fashion world’s largest trade organisation, was involved in an altercation on the afternoon of Sept 14 at the fashion presentation for Cos, a contemporary fashion brand owned by Swedish retailer H&M.

The incident took place in the WSA building at 175 Water Street in New York City’s Manhattan.

As music blared and models paraded around, a group of animal welfare activists stormed the proceedings and began screaming to get sheep off the runway.

Kolb was seated before a wall of windows when an activist emerged in front of him.

Video taken at the event by the news site Fashionista showed Kolb rising from his seat and pushing a young male protester towards the wall, away from the runway.

In Kolb’s hand is a placard one of the protesters was holding, with a message about animal cruelty.

Later in the video, Kolb can be seen with his hand over the man’s mouth and pressing his face against the window, seemingly to prevent him from screaming.

From there, a group of security guards arrives to cart the man out. Kolb can then be seen wrestling a female protester to the ground, where he holds her in place, with one leg wrapped around her and his hand covering her mouth, as he sits in his seat, watching the show.

Seconds later, she breaks out from under him and walks out onto the runway, holding her hands up as she screams to get “sheep” off the runway.

The reaction from Kolb, who has worked at the CFDA for two decades, stunned industry onlookers and celebrities in attendance.

Among the A-listers in the crowd were Sharon Stone and Lupita Nyong’o.

Fashion shows are frequently i...