Madonna: Like a clothing designer?

Arguably the most influential female vocalist of her time or any other, Madonna is now trying her hand as a clothing designer. The songstress is partnering with H&M, the hip-but-affordable threads shack with an impressive global presence similar to her own. Her line of fashion and accessories, "M by Madonna," hit stores today. Initially, the new line with be available at 118 of the company's 1,300 worldwide stores. H&M is headquartered in Sweden and trades on the Stockholm Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HMB.

In her quiet new roles of wife, mother and yoga enthusiast, Madonna has come a long way from her 1980s heyday, when controversial fashion choices often took a back seat to her chart-topping tunes. Her fashion line reflects this evolution, offering basic career wear in muted colors.

That's not to say that "M by Madonna" hasn't already encountered criticism. A retail analyst quoted by Forbes notes that "The price-points on the clothes are a little high for H&M, who is usually known for bargain prices." A modest leather trench coat, for example, carries a price tag of $298, while a pair of patent-leather pumps will run a gal $100. I guess we're living in a material world, after all.

Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.