Luxury jeweler sues supermodel Heidi Klum in NY

caitlin1214

caitlin1214

tPF Bish
O.G.
Jul 7, 2006
29,110
780
#1
Fri Dec 21, 5:58 PM ET


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Luxury jeweler Van Cleef and Arpels sued German supermodel and television star Heidi Klum's company on Friday, claiming she copied a vintage clover jewelry design.

The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, seeks more than $25,000 in damages from Klum's company Heidi Klum GmbH and Mouawad USA, another company she has designed jewelry for.
It said both companies attempted to gain benefit from Van Cleef's esteemed reputation by creating and selling a similar clover design from Van Cleef's vintage Alhambra jewelry line.
Van Cleef & Arpels Inc is owned by luxury goods group Richemont.
Klum is married to British singer Seal and has three children. She hosts the Bravo reality cable television show "Project Runway," which features aspiring designers vying for a chance to get a start in the fashion world.
She gained fame in the late 1990s modeling lingerie for retailer Victoria's Secret and swimsuits, most notably on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine's popular swimsuit edition.
(Reporting by Christine Kearney and Michelle Nichols, editing by Todd Eastham)



(http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071221/en_nm/klum_copyright_dc)


It can be argued that companies can't trademark designs such as hearts, crosses and clovers.



The first picture is a piece from Van Cleef & Arpels.
The second picture is a piece from Heidi Klum.
 

Attachments

  • van_cleef__arpels_alhambra_bracelet.jpg
    van_cleef__arpels_alhambra_bracelet.jpg
    11.4 KB · Views: 48
  • I-13391.jpg
    I-13391.jpg
    29.4 KB · Views: 59
#2
I always noticed the similarity. She said the four leaf clover was her lucky symbol and that's why she used it, but I think she should have been smarter and not picked something that looks so much like VC&A.
 
#6
SPOILEDkiwi said:
I always noticed the similarity. She said the four leaf clover was her lucky symbol and that's why she used it, but I think she should have been smarter and not picked something that looks so much like VC&A.
Click to expand...
Exactly! It looks really simmilar to the VC&A and it's kind of a cheaper version of their jewelry.
 
#7
I read about this in the paper (I think?) yesterday and I was shocked at the prices of her jewelry. They seemed almost as high as some of the VCA pieces. Honestly, I'd never consider buying Heidi Klum's jewelry. I'd prefer the real VCA!

I would have thought it would a lot, lot, lot less expensive.
 
#8
Hmm, interesting....she should have embellished the clover to make it more original if she really wanted it for the good-luck.

Many brands have the clovers...
p11380803_ph_hero.jpg


but heidi's does look too much like van cleef
 
#9
has anyone checked out her newer designs? instead of a flat clover that is obvi heavily inspired, theyre concaved and puffy shaped. IMO they look less like VCA and just all around more attractive. However, ITA with cola...many companies use clovers. i think i would agree more with VCA if heidi's line was filling in the clover with MOP and onyx....although i will agree that its definitely inspired by VCA, i dont think it borders on copyright infringement. :nogood:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back