Madonna for H&M

"You know that we are living in a material world/And I am a material girl..."--Madonna, Material Girl.

Hey Guys,
I'm gonna be honest. I'm not really a Madonna fan. I know for some people, I'll be labeled a blasphemer. But she's never impressed me as a person, artist, anything. So it was with a very heavy heart that I went to scope out her 'much anticipated' collection yesterday at H&M. At the end of the day I figured....fashion is fashion.

I truly, honestly thought for some reason that the store opened at 9am, so I woke up a bit early, putzed around, then hopped on the train to the H&M on 51st and 5th Avenue. When I got there, there was already a line...

...that wrapped around the corner. I clearly thought I was dealing with something of Viktor & Rolfian proportions..and decided to queue up. I quickly learned from linemates that H&M did not in fact open at nine, but at 10am. Riiight. Unfortunately for me, I was dressed in a 'ready for 60 degree weather' leather motorcycle jacket and pumps with no stockings. And yeah, it was about 40 degrees.
I decided to make the best out of it by meeting peeps and finding out why they came. This young lady...

...was such a huge Madonna fan, that she volunteered to sing any of Madonna's top ten for TV crews.
This fashionista...

...tried to play down her Madonna adoration, but after a brief conversation I'd found she'd been to Madonna concerts in New York, London, Chicago and elsewhere.
Those two stood in stark contrast to the more 'The Fashion Bomb' type readers I met.
Khaliyqu and Tamika from Harlem...

...came because they like H&M fashion and had read somewhere that Madonna would be in the house. They wanted an autograph.
Ninotchka...

...joined the fray because she saw the line and was interested in what she might find.
Not the most avid Madonna fans, let me tell you.
Yet and still, the line grew...

...and grew...

...to mammoth proportions. It seemed like forever before they opened the doors, but when they did, everyone rushed inside.

People were picking items up, but it was nothing like Viktor & Rolf. At all. There were no tussles over trench coats, no pulling on shirts. Nothing like last time. And while some women stocked up on black satin dresses, scarves, bags, and belts...

...most shopped in a very controlled manner. The crowd even seemed a tad sparse.

Although my shoppers' adrenaline was low, I looked around and managed to find some items I liked.
This black leather trench was enticing...

...but at $300, I'd rather buy it from a department store.
And this sequined dress was cute...

...but I wasn't about to spend $200 on one lonely item!
So this time around H&M was a bust. I had a feeling it would be.
If you're interested in Madonna's collection, I'm sure there are still tons of pieces. Go get yourself a turban!
Smootches!