Gisele mobbed by Peta

Protesters against fur in fashion stormed a catwalk and waved placards and shouted slogans at Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen.

Campaigners from Peta - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - invaded the runway during the Victoria's Secrets fashion show in New York last night. They were bundled off by security guards and then arrested.

Gisele is one of the most high-profile models to wear fur since the stigma against it in fashion circles began to wane two years ago.

The American fur company, Blackglama, hired her this month to spearhead its glossy new advertising campaign. She was paid a reported £320,000 and given two black mink coats for her services.

Blackglama and American Vogue magazine threw an ultra-exclusive party for her in New York, with tight security to prevent infiltration by anti-fur activists. It appears that Peta bided its time before hitting back.

This was the second high-profile stunt by Peta this week. Their latest advertisement features singer Sophie Ellis Bextor holding up a skinned fox with the slogan: "Here's the rest of your fur coat".

At last night's MTV awards in Barcelona, Miss Ellis Bextor blasted her fellow celebrities' penchant for fur. "I have seen some celebrities wearing it tonight and it really disappoints me," she said. "I think it is obscene and vulgar."

However, the pro-fur lobby insists it has the upper hand. Andrea Martin of the Fur Trade Association, which has 45 members, said: "The number of designers using fur has doubled over the past five years. They are rediscovering the fact that there are a lot of ways that fur can be used."

A growing band of style icons are decking themselves out in sable and mink. Film stars have also worn it to premieres. Sales among the general public are also growing. Figures from the International Fur Trade Federation show a rise in worldwide sales of seven per cent last year, to reach £6.28 billion.

Fur has featured in more than 300 catwalk appearances this year, and design houses including Dior, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Gucci all featured it strongly in their winter collections. Peta spokeswoman Dawn Carr said: "Peta targeted Gisele because she has recently signed a multi-million pound contract with the American fur-pusher Blackgama. This just goes to show that sometimes beauty is only skin deep.

"By getting into bed with the furpushers Gisele has become Peta enemy No 1. Every time that Gisele or anyone else wears fur they are sentencing countless animals to a violent and cruel death."

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