Klum's limited edition shirt can be purchased at USOPEN.org, at the tournament, or a variety of retail outposts in Manhattan

By Liza Horan

New York—Just because Heidi Klum has married fashion and entertainment—through her show Project Runway, though the same could be said for wedding Seal—doesn’t mean she’s always Elle or Vogue. She’s also a Crayola girl.

The model-turned-TV star dug into her children’s crayon box to design a colorful, buoyant design of tennis ball-bodies butterflies for a 2008 U.S. Open T-shirt. Supporting the tournament’s new green initiative, the shirt is made of organic cotton and the design process happened via email and U.S. Postal Service, cutting down on paper waste and on emissions from in-person meetings. Plus, a portion of the $40 price tag is donated to the Corona Park-supporting Unisphere Inc.

"I was so honored to be asked to design this shirt. I hope people will like it and, by purchasing it, do something positive for the environment," said Klum, who was approached about the opportunity because she and Seal are genuine tennis fans; he plays regularly, as well.

“Heidi was at the top of my list. She’s definitely an icon that’s recognizable at the Open,” says Paul White, who heads merchandising and licensing for the U.S. Open. “We got really lucky. She was all about creating the design herself. It is 100 percent her design.”

Klum eagerly accepted the opportunity, emailing the design for each butterfly and noting on a T-shirt template where each should appear. A T-shirt sample then was sent via U.S. Postal Service for Klum’s review. Upon approval, the shirt went into production. The whole process took three months and “she beat the deadline,” reports White, who worked at the NBA and MTV before joining the U.S. Tennis Association. “I think it’s important for the brand to not be so linear, but to be an entertainment property and a sports property.”

No word on if Klum will design a shirt next year or if another fashion icon will be selected. Billie Jean King also designed a T-shirt for the U.S. Open's green line.