This August, CFDA CEO and President Steven Kolb will join fashion industry leaders at Poster House for a special conversation presented in conjunction with the museum’s exhibition, “Love & Fury: New York’s Fight Against AIDS.”
The discussion will explore how the fashion, design, and arts communities mobilized during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, using creativity, celebrity, and cultural influence to raise awareness, support affected communities, and generate critical funding for research and care.
Kolb will be joined by Stan Herman, former CFDA president and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, alongside “Love & Fury” curator Ian Bradley-Perrin and fashion historian Natalie Nudell, author of “In American Fashion.” Together, they will reflect on landmark initiatives including 7th on Sale, Susanne Bartsch’s Love Ball, and other community-led efforts that brought grassroots activism into the mainstream through fashion and design.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the fashion industry played a pivotal role in the fight against AIDS. Designers, artists, and cultural organizations organized fundraisers, exhibitions, and public awareness campaigns that leveraged fashion’s global platform to advocate for those affected by the epidemic. Posters featured throughout “Love & Fury: New York’s Fight Against AIDS” will serve as visual touchpoints throughout the conversation, illustrating how graphic design became an essential tool for activism and community building.
Kolb began his fundraising career at Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), where he contributed to groundbreaking initiatives including DIFFA’s “Safer Sex” campaigns and Susanne Bartsch’s celebrated Love Balls. Since becoming CEO and President of the CFDA, he has continued to champion the American fashion industry while supporting emerging designers through programs including the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and the CFDA Fashion Incubator.
The event offers an opportunity to reflect on fashion’s enduring role in advocacy, remembrance, and collective action, while honoring the individuals and organizations whose efforts helped shape one of the industry’s most significant humanitarian responses.
The conversation will take place at Poster House in New York City on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
Tickets available here.
