Nicole Trunfio | Aram Bedrossian | LoveCat Magazine #1 | 'Love, Nicole'

Note | Nudity The entire Nicole Trunfio editorial for LoveCat Magazine #1 is now published. Aram Bedrossian captures Nicole — who gets a lot of page view love at AOC — in a series of provocative studio shots. TThe Aussie model is on the prowl, expressing her sometimes fierce, inner catwoman.

Given the size and intellectual brainpower of our 250,000 readers who spend an average of 40 minutes on AOC, reading, looking and thinking, I would be remiss if I didn’t call out the horizontal image down the page, a visual I could just omit, but am talking about on FGR if you want to read the commentary.

Update: that conversation has ended. I honestly forgot that Joanna doesn’t allow commentary on body topics or any intellectual debate on FGR, which is her right. I saw the image late last night, right after another person who spoke out against the editorial.

As an editor, writer, corporate consultant and champion of women’s sexuality, rights and good health, I would not have published the image. Nicole Trunfio is one sexy babe. That photo is not. It scares me and defuses the power of the remaining images.

I’m not debating Nicole’s thinness, because I agree that beauty comes in many sizes. The question is when are we irresponsible in promoting an image of women that is unsettling on multiple levels?

The horizonal image is one of the most submissive, broken images of femaleness I’ve seen in a long time. For me it represents a certain tyranny over women’s bodies, and I admit to being very sensitive to the downsizing of models generally. When you’re worked with the great Supermodels, as I have at Victoria’s Secret, it’s tough to understand how those great models became grossly overweight in the last decade.

Clearly I’m off base here, with the rest of the fashionista team. It’s ok. My instincts and philosophy are well-honed, and I will not remain silent on this topic.

It is worth noting that many young women have come to me, thanking me for speaking out on women’s issues. It’s been so many years since anyone opened a mouth in our politically correct, fashionista, socially conservative country called America that I sound like a maniac for sharing an honest response and concern.

I came of age in the years when we freely expressed opinions that were reasoned and informed, which mine were. The research about the impact of beauty and fashion advertising on the psyches of women has been scientifically documented for years. I’m not writing about anorexia which is another subject. I refer to the self-loathing that consumes so many women when they are surrounded by fashion images they can’t possibly achieve. They are failures in their own minds.

I embrace the notion of beauty standards, but I struggle with the entire size 0 or nothing standard. I would like to know where this trend will end. Do women just evaporate one day?

I’m sorry to raise a ruckus connected to Lovecat, because I love the new magazine, and they love me. Anne

On a separate note, let me say that I believe Aram Bedrossian to be an enormously talented up and coming photographe, as I wrote this morning.

We are launching a new photographer interview format probably next week. I’m waiting for the responses from the first photographer to play the game. It was my intention to contact Aram Bedrossian personally, because I am so impressed with his talent. He probably won’t be speaking to me now. You can read Aram’s blog here.

More Nicole Trunfio

Nicole Trunfio | Richard Kern | GQ Italia June 2010