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M by Madonna Debuts at H&M

Shoppers lined up on 5th Avenue early Thursday morning, March 22 for the launch of M by Madonna, the latest capsule collection from Swedish fashion retailer H&M.

The collection, the second and last collection by Madonna offered by H&M, is a 30 piece selection of body conscious basics with a narrow silhouette, mostly in black, white or khaki, that include trench coats in nylon or leather, skinny black pants, cropped jackets, graphic print dresses, bodysuits and wrap sweaters.

Along with the clothing line, M by Madonna also features a range of accessories, including a corset belt, patent leather stacked heels and a jewel box purse in silver or black leather.

"Madonna went through her closet and picked out a few staples that she felt should be in every closet," said Jennifer Uglialoro, a spokesperson for H&M. "It's very glamorous, and timeless."

The collection was designed in conjunction with H&M's head of design, Margereta Von Denbosch, and Madonna also directed the commercial, a first for the pop superstar.

Ruth Wong of North Vancouver, Canada, arrived at 10am to be among the first shoppers hoping to take snag some of the Madonna merchandise.

"It's our third day here, and we heard about the opening, so we thought, okay, we'll line up and see what this is all about," said Wong.

And what did she think about pop stars as designers?

"Well, it works, because obviously it brings people out," she said. "We all want a little piece of them."

Compared to the launches of H&M's previous limited edition collections with designers – Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Viktor & Rolf – the scene at the 51st Street flagship was relatively calm. While plenty of people carried around armfuls of clothing, no fights broke out and the merchandise was kept well stocked. Among the most popular items were "M" logo print scarves and corset belts. Priced under $50, they were the fashion equivalent of a concert t-shirt.

Jeff Weidman, a New York City resident originally from Ohio and self-professed Madonna fan, explained that he was there picking up things for his friends back home, as there are not any H&M stores in Ohio.

"Also," Weidman continued, "Madonna has a great sense of style, so I wanted to come and see her clothes and support her."

Especially for the worldwide launch, H&M will raffle off 90 trench coats signed by Madonna, 15 of which will be given away in the U.S.

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