London Fashion Week had barely settled into its runway rhythm when the catwalk became a stage for protest. H&M’s show at Kensington Olympia was interrupted by PETA activists on September 17, with protesters making their objections to the brand’s use of sheep’s wool impossible to miss. The disruption comes just days after a separate PETA protest at New York Fashion Week drew attention to the handling of runway demonstrations.
PETA protesters storm H&M’s London runway
Video footage shared by PETA on Instagram on September 18 showed three activists entering the H&M catwalk at different points during the presentation, each carrying the same message: "H&M: Wool is bloody cruel. Drop it!"
Early in the show, a male protester, dressed in all black, carrying the sign walked the length of the runway. Soon afterwards, two female protesters in black and green ensembles walked onto the runway with their placards.
The unexpected appearances prompted audible reactions from the audience at Kensington Olympia, with sighs and gasps heard as the protesters continued across the catwalk.
Security eventually stepped in and escorted the three activists away from the runway, allowing the presentation to continue.
The demonstration is part of PETA’s wider campaign against H&M Group’s use of sheep’s wool. The animal rights organisation has been campaigning against the fashion group's wool sourcing after an undercover investigation that PETA says documented alleged animal welfare violations and mistreatment of sheep on farms connected to H&M’s wool supply chain.
PETA's campaign has therefore moved beyond online criticism, with activists taking their message directly to the brand's fashion presentations.
The New York Fashion Week controversy
The London disruption also comes against the backdrop of another PETA protest that unfolded at New York Fashion Week just days earlier.
On September 13, PETA activists interrupted COS' presentation in downtown Manhattan, entering the runway area with signs protesting the use of sheep's wool. COS is owned by H&M Group, connecting the two incidents through the wider debate around the company's wool sourcing.
But the New York demonstration became a controversy for another reason.
Steven Kolb, president and CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), was filmed physically intervening during the protest rather than leaving the situation solely to security personnel.
According to PETA, Kolb held one protester to the floor and covered her mouth and nose while she was shouting that sheep were “bloodied and beaten for wool.” They also alleged that he grabbed another activist who was recording the protest.
The organisation said it intended to file a police report and pursue criminal charges over the incident.
Kolb later acknowledged that he had handled the situation inappropriately. “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,” he said in a statement.
Following the New York incident, the CFDA confirmed that Kolb would step away from his duties while the organisation reviews what happened.
In its statement, the CFDA said: “The CFDA takes this matter very seriously, and as a result, Mr. Kolb will be on leave pending a full review. The CFDA as an organisation is committed to working with dissenting voices to find commonality and is engaged in efforts to move the American fashion industry forward while upholding the values of our membership, including respectful engagement with differing viewpoints.”
