Steven Kolb: The Outsider Who Runs American Fashion

The man who runs American fashion didn't set out to work in fashion at all. Steven Kolb is CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the force behind New York Fashion Week. Before he was front row at runway shows, he was on the front lines of the HIV/AIDS crisis, raising millions for DIFFA when the West Village was ground zero.Twenty years later, at sixty-four, he's thriving in an industry that worships youth—growing CFDA from $3.5 million to $15 million annually and redefining what leadership in fashion looks like.In this conversation, Steven talks about why he almost retired at the end of 2025 and what changed his mind, how Julie Gilhart's flowers on his first day helped him survive an industry he knew nothing about, and why being visibly hard of hearing and perpetually disheveled turned out to be advantages. He shares what it feels like to sit in boardrooms with billionaires as a blue-collar kid from New Jersey—and why he's learned to stay exactly who he is.This is about staying when everyone expects you to step aside, service work that follows you across industries, and why experience deserves celebration.What We Talk About:Transitioning from sixteen years fighting the AIDS crisis at DIFFA to leading CFDA at forty-four with zero fashion backgroundAlmost retiring at sixty-four in an industry obsessed with youth, then choosing to stay and claiming his role as an oracleOvercoming natural shyness to attend dozens of events and fashion shows by learning to "segment" his presenceWhy LGBTQ+ representation matters more on the business side of fashion than the creative side, where gay designers are more visibleHow his blue-collar New Jersey roots keep him grounded when surrounded by people with private planesAbout Steven Kolb:Steven Kolb is CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), where he has served for twenty years. Under his leadership, CFDA has launched the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the Health Initiative addressing model safety, diversity programs including awards for Black and AAPI designers, and crisis response efforts including $5 million in pandemic relief through The Common Thread. Before CFDA, Steven spent sixteen years at Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) during the height of the AIDS crisis. He studied communications and public administration, started his career at the American Cancer Society, and lives in New York with his husband and their dog.Connect with Steven:Instagram: @stevenkolbTikTok: @stevenkolbSubstack: https://substack.com/@stevenkolbnycCFDA: cfda.comResources Mentioned:Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA)CFDA/Vogue Fashion FundThe Common Thread (pandemic relief program)Fashion's Night OutDiane von FurstenbergThom BrowneJulie GilhartFallingwater (Frank Lloyd Wright)Sidney Sheldon's The Other Side of MidnightConnect With Us:Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.comInstagram: @thenewmaturityNewsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.comEmail: [email protected] episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.