One of Elin Kling for H&M pieces, worn by the Scandinavian flashion blogger

Jan 10 - Swedish clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz is to launch its first collection designed by a fashion blogger, a move cheered by unconventional online fashionistas.

H&M, which has worked with top celebrities such as pop icon Madonna, said in a statement on Monday that Swedish fashion blogger Elin Kling had created a minimalist collection to be launched exclusively in Sweden on February 3.

"As one of the largest fashion profiles in Scandinavia, Elin fits our fashion-conscious target audience very well," Sofia Jegerborn, marketing manager at H&M Sweden, said in a statement.

Kling, a stylish girl who shares her colorful outfits on her blog Style By Kling in Sweden, created a capsule of nine pieces and two accessories.



Fashion lovers flocked to the micro-blogging website Twitter to cheer the news as a big leap forward for their community, some wondering who among them would first design an international collection.

"I think it's great news for fashion bloggers -- it really shows the meritocratic nature of the media," London-based blogger Pamplemousse21 told Reuters.

Kling said she had been left free to follow her style.

"The collection is minimalist and raw, but with a clear bohemian element, something that reflects my personal style well," Kling said.

Hennes & Mauritz, Europe's No.2 clothing retailer, reported a 17 percent rise in total sales for November, broadly in line with forecasts.

But fashion retailers are facing pressures from uneven European demand and rising costs of cotton and labor.

(Reporting by Antonella Ciancio, editing by Tim Pearce)