Kim K. is no stranger to stripping down for the cameras, and she's done it again. Kim Kardashian's nude C Magazine cover showcases the reality star in the buff, and the shoot inside the pages of the glossy are just as stunning as the cover.
While Kardashian doesn't say so herself, her decision to bare it all for the cameras seems like a celebration of her pregnancy if nothing else. In the interview for C Magazine , the famous mama opens up about her struggles with fertility, and for me, that's what makes the shoot so incredible. Kardashian is proud of her pregnant body, and her decision to showcase it — despite getting mercilessly criticized for her weight during her pregnancy with North — is nothing short of empowering.
Kardashian's images in the magazine are in gorgeous black and white. She's seen from the top of her chest upward in one of the photos. Her hand barely grazes her lower lip. She's rocking some killer smoky eyes, and her eyebrow game is seriously on point. While Kardashian's styling is basically everything — as always — her interview really brings the shoot into perspective. She's asked about the intense amount of criticism she received when pregnant with North and admits that it wasn't such an easy thing to deal with, especially since she's been open about body image issues in the past.
She says:
It really took a toll after the fact, when I was losing weight. I gained 50 pounds, and it’s tough to get it off. I was dedicated, but also, it changed the way I viewed wanting my picture taken. Before I was always smiling, and so into being out and about. After I had the baby, I was like, these are the same people that made fun of me, and posted the stories that were so awful, calling me fat for something I couldn’t control. I don’t want to smile for them. I don’t want to be out.
Let's be honest, members of the Kardashian-Jenner clan undergo more scrutiny and mean spirited commentary than most regular men and women would be able to stomach. That's what makes Kim's shoot empowering. Despite having been unfairly singled out by media and paparazzi during her pregnancy, she has chosen to take the reigns during this go round, gaining control over how her body is represented.
Kim says that in the past she's been open to projects if they seemed beneficial, but that has changed. She explains, "I used to do anything and everything. When a brand would come to me and it sounded like a good deal, I would do it. But I see how my husband doesn’t do anything unless he is in control and believes in it—I was doing anything just to do it, and I had to take a step back."
While Kardashian may not link this decision to the critiques of her body, I can't help but draw a connection. In the interview, Kardashian goes on to explain that her previous negative interactions with the paps really changed her outlook on having her photo taken. She explains, "Even if I was more confident, I just didn’t feel like being that girl who was going to be smiling for every photo. It changed my mood; it changed who I was; it changed my personality a lot." By posing nude now though, in a manner that makes her feel comfortable not just one that is profitable, Kardashian attempts to stop the mass media from commodifying her body as if it were their own.
The truth is that the Kardashian's cover and spread for C Magazine are gorgeous representations of the star. She appears effortlessly comfortable and incredibly chic. Her second pregnancy should be a brilliant time in her life, and I'm glad she's chosen to take power over it and her body.
