Heidi Klum has been wearing her now famous four leaf clover jewelry a lot on Project Runway for the last few season, now she has just been served with a law suit by luxury jeweler Van Cleef and Arpels, claiming she copied a vintage clover jewelry design.
Van Cleef & Arpels are seeking more than $25,000 in damages from Klum’s company Heidi Klum GmbH and Mouawad USA, another company she has designed jewelry for since 2006. The suit claims that both companies attempted to gain benefit from Van Cleef’s esteemed reputation by creating and selling a similar clover design as Van Cleef’s vintage Alhambra jewelry line.
In the August 13, 2007 issue of Life & Style, it states that Klum found inspiration for “her signature clover motif in a cathedral in Milan, Italy“.
“I love to look for antique jewelry at vintage shops and flea markets,” Heidi told Life & Style. “And it’s a great way to save money. Trends come and go, but there are certain pieces – hoops, cuffs, pendants, simple rings and clovers – that are always current!”
Klum’s jewelry is available online through the Project Runway store online as well as on home shopping network, QVC.
EDIT Oct 9, 2008: The suit was dismissed with a out of court resolution reach. Read more here.
