MADONNA - MADONNA HAILED AS A 'FASHION ICON'

Madonna has been honoured for her experimental and ever-changing personal sense of fashion at this year's Elle Style Awards.

The ceremony, which took place at Camden's Roundhouse in London, saw the 48-year-old singer hailed as a fashion icon, while Naomi Campbell was named as the year's best model and Stella McCartney the Best International Designer.

The actress Penelope Cruz collected the award for best film for Volver, with Thandie Newton scooping the Best Actress prize for for her performance in The Pursuit of Happyness.

While the ceremony attracted a host of glamorous stars, Madonna was not available to pick up her award in person.

The recognition comes soon after Madonna announced that she is to launch her own designer clothing range through the high street store H and M.

However, the star's accolade was greeted with derision by some, with Bob Geldof's daughter, Peaches, claiming Madonna's age makes her "irrelevant" as a style icon.