Nicole Trunfio's breastfeeding cover had a huge impact on her husband.

In the middle of last year, Australian model Nicole Trunfio appeared on the cover of Elle magazine breastfeeding her four-month-old son.

For a world that censors new mums at every turn, from social media to the supermarket, it was a groundbreaking photo shoot which started a long overdue national conversation.

But for the 30-year-old, who got her start on Search for a Supermodel, it was the impact the image had on her husband, musician Gary Clark Jr, that mattered the most.

Thank you to the #ama for naming us the #coveroftheyear This shows that people are conscious and listening, don’t stop raising awareness, it only takes one person to start a movement. #normalizebreastfeeding Thank you to @justine_cullen and @elleaus for being so bold and forward thinking #honored ????????

A photo posted by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on Nov 12, 2015 at 7:39pm PST

“I woke up the next morning after it launched and I had comments on my Instagram saying, “This is such an important thing for women and culture,” she told Stellar in a recent interview.

“For me, the most impactful thing came from home because [my husband] Gary [Clark Jnr] used to feel really uncomfortable when I’d breastfeed at a restaurant, even if I had a blanket over the top.

“When he saw the impact that it made on the world, he realised how important it was to accept it and normalise it.”

A photo posted by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on Sep 14, 2016 at 11:00pm PDT

The couple welcomed Zion into the world on January 11, 2015, and married this year in April.

In the article accompanying the original Elle cover – which was shot in the lead up to last year’s International Day to Normalize Breastfeeding – Trunfio explained her mission further:

“You know, everyone has their own opinions about it. Some think that it’s a private moment that you should share only with your child. Some think it’s a cultural thing. But I think mainly, it’s the sexual side of it. A woman’s body is so sexualised. So a woman can be in lingerie on a billboard with her breasts protruding out of bra, but a mother who’s fully clothed and being discreet can’t breastfeed her child?”

A photo posted by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on Jun 24, 2015 at 7:18am PDT

It wasn’t until her husband began to understand breastfeeding as a necessity that he stopped making him uncomfortable.

“I think breasts need to be seen as non-sexual things. They need to be seen for what they’re for: feeding a child,” she said.

“Hopefully one day when a woman is breastfeeding, she won’t be met with embarrassment and judgment.”