Fashion Garments

TOOWOOMBA magazine editor Liz Hamilton hopes to see more “untouched” photographs gracing the pages of national fashion magazines.

However, she believes the much-hyped nude cover shot by Jennifer Hawkins will do more harm than good.

The February edition of Marie Claire magazine features photographs of the Australian supermodel both nude and “unphotoshopped”.

Ms Hawkins said her daring strip was aimed at promoting positive body images.

“This won’t necessarily help women,” said Mrs Hamilton, the editor of Toowoomba magazine, Bella, said. “I think it will put more expectations on women. Not every woman is a supermodel.

“It is detrimental to continue to promote the emphasis on supermodels as a celebration of beauty alone. If Marie Claire was really concerned about this issue they would focus on the whole woman, not just the body.

“(If it was my choice) I would choose someone off the street, and have them dressed appropriately, with the emphasis on making the best of what we have got.”

Bella is celebrating a milestone this month — its first birthday. The magazine is targeted at women aged 12 to 19 and prides itself on not falling into the “photoshopping” trends of modern publishing.

Photoshop is a computer program which can change and enhance images.

“We don’t change or Photoshop any of the physical features,” Mrs Hamilton said.

“We believe in the natural beauty of a woman.

“I can’t say that we definitely don’t use Photoshop because we do. We use it for printing processes.

“Basically, we don’t want to portray to young women the unattainable and hyper-reality of women that is represented through the media.

“We represent the true and natural state. The craze of photoshopping puts a lot of expectations on women, especially younger women.

“We owe it to ourselves as women to represent the true and natural state.”