shady shady fräulein klum

Following the launch of Heidi Klum’s new bra ‘The Body’ for Victoria’s Secret, Elle Macpherson has suddenly come out swinging – claiming that that nickname is hers. I must have had a brain tumor for breakfast yesterday because I had completely forgotten about Elle – and she’s definitely right about this one. She’s been known as ‘The Body’ for years… meanwhile little Fräulein Klum was probably yodeling somewhere back in Germany, and wearing braids and lederhosen.

According to Lloyd Grove of the Daily News –

Fellow supermodel Elle Macpherson, who's been known as "The Body" ever since Time magazine dubbed her that in a 1986 cover story, has every reason to think so. This week, Klum has been claiming the title for herself in a saturation Victoria's Secret ad campaign for The Body bra. "They call me The Body — and now I have a bra named after me," the German hottie claims in TV commercials.

"We saw that and were like, Oh my god!" Elle Macpherson Intimates spokeswoman Melissa Edwards told Lowdown yesterday. "We were initially flabbergasted." Now it's a battle of the supermodel moguls — Macpherson, the 42-year-old, 6-foot Aussie mother of two, against Klum, the 33-year-old, 5-foot-9 mother of two (with one on the way).

Elle's flack, Edwards, invoked the 1986 Time cover and added: "We have numerous press clippings in the office referring to her as 'The Body.' Everything from Harper's Bazaar to Vogue to the recent Sports Illustrated calls her that. In terms of public record, that name belongs to Elle."

Macpherson markets her own skin-care line, "Elle Macpherson The Body," along with a lingerie brand and a fitness video titled "The Body Workout." Klum — who was once called "The Body Two," in deference to Elle — is a relative Heidi-come-lately, and didn't hit the United States until the late 1990s. Both Klum and Macpherson have been favorites of the Sports Illustrated annual swimsuit issue, and both appeared in the mag's latest.

But what's up with "The Body" doubling? A spokeswoman for Klum and Victoria's Secret didn't respond by deadline to detailed messages.

Now here's the thing - this is kind of a big deal. I mean, Heidi totally ripped Elle Macpherson off - and I would say that it's probably a safe bet that both Heidi's camp and Victoria's Secret are probably freaking out a little bit today. Shame on you, Heidi - shame on you! Say auf wiedersehen to your faux nickname.