Protests mark the opening of Australian Fashion Week

Australia's 19th annual Fashion Week has opened and on Monday it was getting as much coverage for protests as the designers displaying their wares.

On Sunday night the opening show by local designer Kym Ellery was extremely well received at the Carriageworks venue, a giant Victorian-era former train maintenance center near Sydney's CBD.

But just as Ellery did a catwalk walk of honor, an angry man leapt onto the stage saying "this is a disgrace" and screaming about the loud music which accompanied the show.

He wasn't an invited guest, instead an angry resident who lives near the venue in the once working class area of Eveleigh which has become gentrified.

Whereas the original inhabitants of this area put up with 24 hour a day noise from the maintenance sheds, plus the rumbling of trains on around six railway lines, the new middle to upper middle class ones want peace on their terms.

Ellery fled backstage when the middle-aged man leapt on the catwalk before security bundled him away.

On Monday, fashion designers, writers, international department store buyers and media were greeted by peaceful protesters from animal rights PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

They were covered in body paint and held signs saying "animal prints, not animal skins" and "animals are not ours to wear".

They were protesting because owners of the Australian Fashion Week had declined their request to ban fur from the designer shows.