This Model Is Breaking Down Breastfeeding Taboos

The latest fashion magazine cover to come out of Australia is already guaranteed to have moms everywhere enthusiastically cheering. Elle Australia's June features model Nicole Trunfio breastfeeding her baby. The image is a gorgeous portrayal of motherhood as shown through a high fashion lens. In fact, it's quite similar to a picture most Americans are already highly familiar with, the infamous — and "scandalous" — shot of actress Olivia Wilde breastfeeding her baby in the pages of Glamour.

When that picture was published, there was a huge outpouring of support, but also inexplicable rage that Glamou r and Wilde would publish such an untoward photo in the midst of a fashion magazine. In my opinion, this is a strange response from people who are simply being presented with an image of something that's extremely natural, and an important part of life that a large majority of mothers have participated in themselves.

Well, clearly, Elle Australia isn't afraid of a little controversy because instead of hiding the photo within an editorial, they chose to put the beautiful pic right on the cover. They also posted it to their Instagram account where, so far, they've received nothing but praise. The best thing about this shot of first-time mom Nicole and her 4-month-old baby Zion? There was nothing planned about it.

Elle's Editor-in-Chief Justine Cullen said of the image, “This wasn’t a contrived situation: Zion needed a feed, Nicole gave it to him, and when we saw how beautiful they looked we simply moved her onto the set. It was a completely natural moment that resulted in a powerful picture.”

The breastfeeding cover is sadly for subscribers only, with newsstands receiving a more covered up, traditional image of Trunfio and little Zion. However, it's amazing to see a women's magazine take such a bold, declarative stand towards accepting the female body in all of its many natural forms with zero sense of shame.