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NSFW: Karlie Kloss’ Ribs Photoshopped Out Of Topless Numéro Shoot

Well, this is awkward. After the blogosphere ooh’d and ahh’d over Karlie Kloss‘ banging body in her latest, semi-nude Numéro shoot, it turns out the glossy’s art department didn’t feel quite the same way. Today, the version of the spread that will appear in the magazine itself has been released, and unlike the one that came from photographer Greg Kadel‘s studio yesterday, Kloss’ ribs and sternum have been smoothed entirely out of a shot.

Seriously, you guys? Rib removal again? The Victorian era was really not that glamorous. And ok — we get that the magazine might be trying to avoid the kind of backlash Vogue Italia faced when they ran naked images of Karlie that showed off a few protruding hipbones in addition to some serious protruding muscle. But people do have ribs, and this kind of pose will make them stick out even for those of us who are not quite supermodel-lithe.

Seriously, try it! Just pretend you’re stretching.

UPDATE: Kadel’s studio sent the following statement to The Cut via email:

It was Greg’s desire to represent Karlie as she naturally is … slender, athletic and beautiful. That is why he released the images as he intended them to be seen by the public. He is shocked and dismayed that unbeknownst to him, Numéro took it upon themselves to airbrush over his original images. Greg stands by his original artwork and cannot stress enough that he not only was unaware of the magazine’s retouching but also finds the airbrushing of Karlie unacceptable and unnecessary.

Check out the Photoshop carnage below:

[TFS via Fashion Copious]



  • http://twitter.com/Queerrilla queerrilla

    Nice blur effect. Totally professional.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t mean to be rude, but the original picture resembles those pictures of starving children from third world countries. I don’t blame the magazine for photoshopping her. I realize she’s a model and so she has to be skinny, but she doesn’t look healthy. I’m not sure where the photographer says she’s athletic looking I don’t see abs I see skin and bones. Skinny doesn’t always equal healthy and athletic.

  • Anonymous

    people complain if they make models look too thin, now they’re complaining about adding weight to her. All photos are airbrushed, get over it.

  • Amy

    Both pictures look rather disturbing… Are you sure the first one isn’t also altered?

  • dixiedragon

    her ribs protruding make her look like a POW or holocaust victim what was the photographer thinking encouraging that look?? in the first place?

  • John

    Give this lady some food.

  • Quasimodo

    Instead of complaining about something you’re obviously ignorant about, why not try what the article suggested, and raise your arms like hers in the shot? Unless you’re more than “a few pounds overweight”, your ribs and sternum SHOULD stick out, exactly like hers. If you look like the re-touched version while holding that pose, when you take your arms down, you WILL look flabby, definitely not fit.

  • Frigidchick

    If they had a problem with her body, then why did they ask her to pose nude in the first place? It’s not like she jumped out of a box and said “Surprise! I’m skinny as f*ck!”

  • ThanksAnaWintour

    This isn’t about which photo looks nicer… or stating that they’re both ugly… The point is that the Fashion Industry encourages, nay, requires their models to look like the unedited picture of Karlie, yet simultaneously rejects the same body that they’ve established as modelling protocol when it isn’t covered. They want it both ways… fat is ugly (covered and not), yet so is skinny (unless it’s covered by their thousand dollar size 0 dresses) according to them. Both are beautiful… and the controversy surrounding Karlie just makes her collateral damage… she isn’t the villain.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002255322466 Peter Morgan John Davies

    Ok I’m a healthy average sized guy, 5ft11 and around 12 and a half stone, like the article suggested I posed with my arms up like her and my ribs didn’t protrude half as much as hers, I know very thin people who’s ribs don’t stick out as much as that either, you only have to look at her arms and elbows to know that it’s not the pose that’s making her ribs stick out that much, this girl is severely underweight. I’m amazed that the model industry still insists on these stick like women, this does not promote beauty and it doesn’t represent real women, yes some women are thin but NOT THAT THIN! Why aren’t models more curvier and more natural looking, like Beyonce and Marilyn Monroe are two of the biggest sex icons of their time and yet both of them are sexy and proud of their curvy figure, Shakira who is very petite has an amazing body and sexy curves proof that you can still be thin but have the body of a woman. Women are not skin and bones, genetically they are not supposed to be that thin, women are supposed to store more fat than men.

  • Kendala

    It looks unhealthy,this model could stand to gain a few pounds and eat once in a while. She looks anorexic, not athletic. She looks like she’s been starving for years. This is so bad for your cardiac system and gastointestinal system and can lead to lifelong problems. And perhaps she didn’t look this thin with clothes on or in the past at other photo shoots , the company never promises not to airbrush, they have their reasons. And THEY control the photo shoots. I wish we would start focusing on health. They chose to airbrush, what they could have chosen was to feed her for a couple days .

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