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Madonna goes chic-n-cheap

By Hitha Prabhakar (new.com.au)
Updated: 2007-03-22 11:39

Mads the designer ... a worker hangs from a huge poster advertising Madonna's new line for H&M.

The queen of reinvention is at it again, this time as clothing designer. Madonna's "M by Madonna" fashion and accessories line hits H&M stores worldwide tomorrow.

"Madonna worked closely with H&M's director of design, Margereta Van den Bosch, to create this collection," says Jennifer Uglialoro, spokeswoman for the Swedish retailer, of the line that will be released in 118 of the company's 1300 worldwide stores.

"She's a style icon, and everything that is going to debut has Madonna's personal style incorporated into it."

What’s to be found? No cone bras or circa-1980 gauzy skirts here - just simple cuts and basic separates such as skinny pants and pencil skirts in basic black, as well as printed blouses and details such as cinched waists.

The line boasts such accessories as a 1940s-inspired black satin turban. There’s also a rectangular weekend bag and patent-leather stacked heels, both in black and white. Some pieces are not for everyone. A patent leather corset belt would seem hard to wear by those not rail thin.

And Madonna's leather trench coat is worth a look, but for just under ￡300 ($732), it is not the bargain H&M is known for.

She may be a style icon, but some remain wary of how much merchandise will actually be sold.

"The price points on the clothes are a little high for H&M, who is usually known for bargain prices," says James Hurley, a retail analyst at the Telsey Advisory Group, a research firm.

"The real test will be the customer's receptivity to price point and the amount of inventory H&M has.