Women Fashion Models and Designer

Madonna has hit back at claims she is too old to represent fashion chain store Swedish retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) fashion brand. – her spokesperson insists the 47-year-old has more energy than an 18-year-old. For many, Madonna has more in common with Versace than H&M’s inexpensive yet fashionable clothing.
Hennes & Mauritz AB, the owner of H&M discount clothes stores, will feature Madonna in a series of advertisements capitalizing on her popularity to help sell clothing.

But at the busy intersection of music and fashion, Swedish brand H&M has signed on to supply Madonna and her entire touring company (band, stage crew, dancers) with offstage wardrobes during the artist’s already-in-progress Confessions Tour. (Madonna’s onstage outfits for the trek are designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier.)
According to Bloomberg.com, reporter Sara Gay Forden states, “H&M, which sells women’s tops for as little as 4.90 euros ($6.20), has an advertising policy that calls for using “healthy and wholesome” representatives, according to the company Web site. The retailer last year cancelled a campaign featuring Kate Moss amid allegations that the model had used cocaine.”

Cut to advertising “guru” Jerry Della Femina , who publicly criticized the alliance between Madge and the Swedish retailer, saying the choice saying the “material girl” is “too old” to represent a company “whose shoppers are mainly young women.”
Della Femina said: “These kids trade in stars every two or three years and many don’t know Madonna.”
But the singer’s spokeswoman Liz Rodenberg has dismissed the Della Femina comments, telling PageSix.com: “I defy any 18-year-old to do a quarter of what Madonna does on stage. I hope Jerry Della Femina takes a nice pill.”

H&M, which has more than 1,200 stores in 22 countries, markets its affordable fashions to all consumers, including couture-conscious fashionistas.
Two years ago, the brand tapped Karl Lagerfeld to design a one-off collection for its fall line. It did the same last year with Stella McCartney. This year, Dutch design team Viktor & Rolf will do the fall 2006 honours.