Madonna's H&M apparel line gets mild welcome in NYC

By Martinne Geller

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Madonna on Thursday joined the parade of celebrities with their own fashion lines, but the material girl who used to shock audiences with her outrageous outfits kept to a mainstream tune.

Madonna's much-anticipated clothing line, "M by Madonna," went on sale at the low-priced Swedish retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB's stores around the world on Thursday.

Excited shoppers in New York, where Madonna began her career, queued up about 30 minutes before the H&M store on Manhattan's ritzy Fifth Avenue opened, in order to be among the first to see the diva's collection.

Within two hours some items, including belts and small purses, had sold out, said one sales associate.

Another hot seller was a white, double-breasted trench coat, which Madonna, who co-designed the line for the Swedish company, wears in the campaign's advertisements.

"That white, silky coat is gorgeous, I think my daughter, who is 19, would love it," said Mary Taylor, a public relations executive, who was among the curious.

But many shoppers were not as enthusiastic about the range of styles, expecting a clothing line designed by the singer, actress and author to be more adventurous.

Madonna, who has been a taste-maker for more than two decades, has shocked audiences throughout her career with daring styles that have included lacy bras and crucifixes and a Jean-Paul Gaultier-designed cone bustier.