Madonna H&M launch off to lukewarm start

Madonna's collection for H&M received a lukewarm reception with shoppers on Thursday. Perhaps H&M consumers feel they've 'seen it all before', to quote a recent Madonna lyric, or perhaps its due to the never-ending celebrity collaborations with high street conglomerates that one would need to invest in a plethora of wardrobes to keep up with the celebrity craze.

So despite a high-profile television and newspaper advertising campaign featuring the singer modelling items from her M by Madonna range, and celebrity admirers such as Jean Paul Gaultier saying they were keen to get hold of her designs, just 50 or so fans were waiting outside H&M's flagship store on London's Oxford Street as it opened yesterday morning for the official launch of the collection. This unlike the queues and demand shoppers had for Stella McCartney or Karl Lagerfeld, where the collections sold out within minutes.

Most of those in the queue were Madonna fans keen to snap up any merchandise associated with the star, rather than fashionistas wanting to emulate her style. Lauretta Roberts, editor of fashion industry magazine Drapers, said the reason Madonna's range had not caused as much of a stir as other celebrity collections was down to the fact that she was the wrong icon for H&M. 'Madonna is still an icon to many people, but her fan base would be largely made up of people in their 30s and above, which is not really a core H&M customer in the UK. And the styling of this collection, with its pencil skirts and cinched-in waists, is pretty grown-up too.

A highlight of the collection includes a white trench coat £59.99?Trench coats are one of this season's key trends, with the light colour making it perfect for spring. However, the fact that it's been so widely publicised, having featured in much of the advertising for the M by Madonna range, means it is highly recognizable.