Heidi Klum's nude photo shoot in Los Angeles to promote Lifetime's "Project Runway" was a statement rather than cheesecake, the network's president said.

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Nancy Dubuc, who is also general manager of Lifetime, said this week Klum's display reflects the strong and confident female demographic her network caters to, USA Today said Saturday.

The shoot, Dubuc said, was given the green light in order to "embrace the contemporary woman."

Klum bared it all in a studio earlier this week. The onetime super model has since been reviewing the images and will sign off on the final one in the near future.

The Hollywood Reporter said "Project Runway," which begins its ninth season this summer, is a critical part of Lifetime's lineup. Dubuc has been refreshing the network and shifting it away from the "women in peril" dramas that have faded in popularity in recent years.