Key Takeaways
- PETA protesters entered H&M’s London Fashion Week runway carrying signs.
- Security let the activists walk the full catwalk before escorting them out.
- The protest followed a similar disruption at COS’s New York Fashion Week show, where CFDA chief Steven Kolb restrained an activist.
PETA has staged a protest during H&M’s show during London Fashion Week over the brand’s use of sheep’s wool, and it appears to have been effective for an interesting reason.
In videos that surfaced on social media following the H&M Fashion Week show on Thursday (Sept. 17), a protester for PETA could be seen crashing the runway alongside a model. “H&M: Wool is BLOODY cruel,” read the protester’s sign, which can be seen in the video below. “Drop it!” In the clip, several people can be heard talking about getting the protester down from the catwalk.
British Tabloid The Standard reported that other PETA protesters were able to get on the catwalk during the show at Kensington Olympia, with security allowing them to walk the full length of the catwalk before they were escorted out.
Some reactions on social media highlighted the protester herself, complimenting her physique.
The incident comes not long after CFDA chief executive Steven Kolb physically restrained a PETA activist at the COS Spring/Summer 2027 Show during New York Fashion Week. “Sheep beaten and bloodied for wool. Don't buy it,” read one of the activist’s signs, which accused COS and its parent company, H&M Group, of abusing sheep for wool. Kolb intervened, taking signs off the activists, some of whom stepped on the runway themselves, and pulled one of them to the floor.
Kolb was seen covering the mouth of the activist he pulled to the floor, restraining her wrists and wrapping one of his legs around her. He also grabbed a second activist who was recording the incident, but security eventually intervened and escorted the protester out of the venue. He later apologized for the incident. “I reacted inappropriately to an incident at a show earlier today," he said. "It wasn't my place to do so. I should have let the security team handle the situation."
PETA is very critical of the wool industry, which has prioritized the selective breeding of sheep to guarantee a higher yield of wool when sheep need shearing. Over time, this has also meant that several breeds of sheep need shearing and cannot naturally shed their coats.
PETA has also highlighted that shearers are typically paid by volume rather than hourly, which encourages them to work faster without paying much attention to the wellbeing of the animals. Wool is not considered vegan by many people across the world, specifically because of abusive practices including mulesing, where strips of the sheep’s skin are removed.
