Italian model to replace Kate Moss

Swedish clothing chain Hennes & Mauritz will use Italian model Mariacarla Boscono to help launch a new collection, replacing Britain's Kate Moss, who was dropped after media reports of her cocaine use, the company said.

Boscono will appear in TV commercials for a limited collection designed by Stella McCartney which goes on sale in November, H&M spokeswoman Liv Asarnoj said.

However, posters and newspaper ads for the collection will not feature any model, H&M spokesman Liv Asarnoj.

The ads were originally intended to feature Moss, but H&M dropped the 31-year-old model in September, saying she had acknowledged that British tabloid reports of her recent cocaine use were true. Moss issued a public apology in September, taking "full responsibility for my actions," but stopped short of specifying whether she had used cocaine.

Asarnoj said McCartney was personally involved in the selection of Boscono, who has worked with the designer before.

McCartney, daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney, will design a limited women's collection of about 40 items that will go on sale in 400 stores on Nov. 10. Last year, H&M released a similar collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld, which sold out in a few hours in many stores worldwide, AP reports.

A. A.