Miranda Kerr's team accuse Coles of 'publicity' stunt over nude magazine cover

The editor of the magazine said the image was 'beautiful' and 'artistic'

Miranda Kerr quickly regained her composure at the Vanity Fair after party

Miranda Kerr's management has hit back at the store which took down magazines showing the model posing nude on the front.

Coles, one of Australia's biggest supermarket chains, has pulled down copies of Harper's Bazaar featuring a naked Ms Kerr because they were "inappropriate".

Ms Kerr is shown standing in a pair of stilletos, with one arm across her breasts, in a shot taken by fashion photographer Steven Chee.

She is one of a line of women who have appeared nude on women's magazines in the country.

Annie Kelly, Ms Kerr's manager, said Coles had pulled the cover of the Swarovski model as a publicity stunt.

"There have been numerous examples of similar covers sold without restriction that celebrate and support women, and this is no different," Ms Kelly told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"They seem to have used it to get publicity during the busiest trading time of the year."

Miranda Kerr's management said the supermarket had pulled the front cover as a "publicity" stunt in the Christmas run-up (Harper's Bazaar)

This is one of the first front covers of a women's magazine to be censored by a major supermarkets.

But Coles also stopped selling men's magazine Zoo following a social media campaign in August, according to ABC News.

A Coles spokesman said "customer feedback" from families with children had prompted the removal of the magazine.

"We didn't think the cover was appropriate for our stores so the decision was made," he said according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Other women to have appeared on Australian magazines include former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins, a pregnant Megan Gale and Deborah Hutton on her 50th birthday.

Kellie Hush, Harper's Bazaar editor-in-chief, told ABC News that the image of the former Victoria's Secret model was artistic and should be celebrated.

"The cover is a beautiful artistic image taken by one of Australia's best photographers," she said.

"It is a shame Coles does not also recognise the artistic integrity of this image."