By Hannah Powling
The Pirelli Calendar is known for its glamorous nude portraits, enlisting fashion photographers and top models to produce the exclusive sexy calendar. Yesterday in London, photographer Annie Leibovitz and Pirelli unveiled their new concept for the 2016 calendar, presenting influential women across all different backgrounds and achievements.
“This calendar is so completely different, it’s a whole other concept” Leibovitz describes the calendar, now in its 43rd edition, was shot in July in New York – and takes on a whole new notion to the traditional top models that are usually displayed within the Pirell pages.
The line-up for the 12 months of 2016 are Yao Chen, Natalia Vodianova, Kathleen Kennedy, Agnes Gund with her granddaughter Sadie Rain Hope-Gund, Serena Williams, Mellody Hobson, Fran Leibovitz, Ava DuVernay, Tavi Gevinson, Shirin Neshat, Yoko Ono, Patti Smith and Amy Schumer.
Amy certainly didn’t feel self-concious whilst posing in her underwear with a coffee… Leibovitz said “She got that it was a concept. It was going to be an important aspect of the pictures. She was willing to play that role. I was worried for her, I asked, ‘are you self-conscious?’ And she said, ‘are you kidding? I love my body!’” Hear hear.
The calendar combines celebrity, fashion and culture and the Italian company approached Leibovitz wanting to do something different this year and gave her full reigns for the project. “We needed more than 12 months” said Leibovitz, who had complete creative control of the casting; “there’s no beginning or end, we could’ve gone on and on“.
Take a look at some of the inspiring women featured in the 2016 Pirelli Calendar below..
Check out the behind the scenes video, via Harper Bazaar, of the Pirelli Calendar 2016:
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