Coles pulls naked Miranda Kerr cover
Thousands of copies of Harper's Bazaar are pulled down from the shelves at Coles after the cover is deemed 'inappropriate'.
PT0M35S 620 349Coles supermarkets has pulled thousands of copies of Harper's Bazaar Australia magazine featuring a nude Miranda Kerr on the cover because the store's executives deemed it "inappropriate".
However, the retail giant has been unable to elaborate on what was the catalyst for the decision to impose the censorship on behalf of its shoppers.
![Miranda Kerr meets fans at her new pop-up shop, Kora Organics, at Westfield Bondi on Thursday.](/web/20151218125153im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/p/x/i/9/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.glqhwb.png/1450430179059.jpg)
Miranda Kerr meets fans at her new pop-up shop, Kora Organics, at Westfield Bondi on Thursday. Photo: Fiona Morris
On Friday morning, a Coles spokesman confirmed the magazine's removal, revealing it had been on sale "briefly" across the chain but a decision had subsequently been made to pull it from sale.
"We didn't think the cover was appropriate for our stores so the decision was made," the spokesman said.
He was at first unable to confirm if any complaints had been received from shoppers about the cover, which shows the supermodel standing in a pair of stilettos and positioned so her arm is draped across her naked breasts and only the side of her legs and hip are on show.
![Miranda Kerr meets fans at her new pop-up shop, Kora Organics, at Westfield Bondi on Thursday.](/web/20151218125153im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/p/z/3/c/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.glqhwb.png/1450430179059.jpg)
Miranda Kerr meets fans at her new pop-up shop, Kora Organics, at Westfield Bondi on Thursday. Photo: Fiona Morris
However, he later confirmed the magazine was withdrawn based on "customer feedback" but was unable to provide details on how many complaints had been received or from which locations.
Harper's Bazaar Australia is a high-end fashion magazine that showcases luxury labels.
In Coles, it is stocked only in the aisle stands, unlike other more mainstream titles that are strategically positioned at the checkouts next to lollies and other items to encourage last-minute impulse sales.
![Miranda Kerr graces the cover of <em>Harper's Bazaar</em> magazine in nothing but a pair of towering designer stilettos.](/web/20151218125153im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/q/i/g/8/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.glqhwb.png/1450430179059.jpg)
Miranda Kerr graces the cover of Harper's Bazaar magazine in nothing but a pair of towering designer stilettos. Photo: Harper's Bazaar
Supermarket sales account for a small proportion of Harper's Bazaar's overall circulation, with far more copies sold through direct subscription and newsagencies, which continue to display the Kerr cover.
Harper's Bazaar editor-in-chief Kellie Hush remained defiant on Friday and said she was "disappointed" with Coles' decision.
"I was really disappointed to hear Coles made the decision to pull the Miranda Kerr issue off shelves," she said.
"The cover is a beautiful artistic image taken by one of Australia's best photographer's Steven Chee and I stand by that.
"I have had so much positive feedback from around the globe, it is a shame Coles does not also recognise the artistic integrity of this image.
"As Gloria Steinem says: 'The human body is not obscene.' "
Last week, she defended the move to feature Kerr naked on the cover, telling PS the image was a "celebration of femininity", even though the decision coincided with news that international men's magazine Playboy was dropping its naked centrefolds.
"The demise of provocative mens' magazines has been a long time coming and Bazaar is in no way looking to fill that slot.
"We're now living in an era of Victoria's Secret Angels, stolen nude photos and attempts to break the internet with reality stars in provocative poses," Hush said.
"This isn't the same thing. Harper's Bazaar has long celebrated the daring woman – someone with vision, commitment, style – and a total lack of fear. Miranda may be naked but she's a trailblazer and this cover celebrates this."
On Friday, Hush argued that the image was not only tasteful, but it was far less provocative than some of the other titles regularly stocked in stores such as Coles, including exercise magazines that often featured "much more provocative" depictions of naked bodies.
Coles' decision comes a day after Kerr visited Sydney's Hospital for Women to announce her new role as an ambassador.
Ironically, she was commended by several medical professionals on the Harper's cover during her visit.
As for posing naked, Kerr previously said of the shoot: "The thing about nude photographs is that they can look iconic and tasteful, and they can be timeless because there is no fashion that ties them to a particular era. But the funny thing about this shoot was that I didn't know we were doing nudes - I thought we were doing a fashion story."
It was later revealed that, during the photo shoot, Kerr wore a G-string, which was Photoshopped out of the image that appears on the cover.