Roughly 40 fashion experts layered chilly-weather clothing on mannequins, adjusted racks, straightened signs and gave orders over walkie- talkies Wednesday to put the spit, polish and sparkle on the new H&M store that opens at noon today in the Denver Pavilions.

If you're planning to show up for the opening, expect to join more than 1,000 metro-area fashion-conscious bargain hunters waiting in line.

When the Dallas store opened earlier this year, the line of roughly 1,200 people started forming at 7 p.m. the night before, according to H&M spokeswoman Pansy Tolou.

The much-anticipated Denver opening of the international chain that carries women's, men's and children's clothing likely will feed the

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frenzy of the H&M faithful who had to travel out of state to get the low-priced fashion the store is famous for.

That demand also is pent up because H&M does not have an online system for ordering merchandise, Denver retail experts say. Website shopping for the store will launch next year, Tolou said.

The 21,000-square-foot store inside the former Niketown space on the 16th Street Mall will be the first Colorado location. A second store in Cherry Creek Shopping Center is slated to open in late spring.

"The big headline here is that H&M's selection of downtown Denver, and specifically the Denver Pavilions, as the location of their flagship store . . . is a huge validation of the Denver Pavilions as the one retail trade area in our market that serves the entire metropolitan area," said Mark Sidell, president of Pavilions owner Gart Properties.

The Pavilions store will carry sections such as men's suits (priced at around $250) and the Versace line (coming Nov. 19) that aren't available in every H&M outlet.

On opening day, deeply discounted specials will be offered for that day only.

"Price point is one of the biggest draws at H&M," said Tolou, sporting

Jose Tapia cleans a revolving door Wednesday in front of the H&M clothing store, due to open at noon today at the Denver Pavilions downtown. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
an H&M black leather jacket and flowered tapered pants. "It's an important message to customers. We buy in such high volume that we can offer lower prices."

H&M, whose full name is Hennes & Maritz, operates roughly 2,300 stores worldwide. Denver is No. 230 in the U.S.

New moves.

Two captains of Colorado industry recently closed on high-priced digs on the Front Range, according to public records. Vail Resorts chief Robert Katz bought a $3.2 million home in Boulder, and Denver Post publisher William Dean Singleton paid slightly more than $1.26 million for a penthouse pad close to the office.

New eatery.

Longtime metro-area restaurateur Jimmy Lambatos

A variety of women's shoes are available at the 21,000-square-foot H&M store on the 16th Street Mall, the retailer's first Colorado location. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
opened The Ivy at the Glenn, a contemporary seasonal eatery, on Wednesday in the old Tarbell's space at The Streets at Southglenn, 6911 S. University Blvd. in Centennial.

"Price points are a little bit less than I was doing downtown," Lambatos said about his shuttered restaurant Bauer's at 15th and Curtis streets that now houses Le Grand French bistro. "The Ivy is more of a neighborhood spot for this suburban area."

Open for lunch and dinner daily.

EAVESDROPPING | A man:

"With the opening of Ikea and H&M, it feels like Sweden's invading us."

Penny Parker's column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.

A variety of women's shoes are available at the 21,000-square-foot H&M store on the 16th Street Mall, the retailer's first Colorado location. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)