The Pirelli Calendar, now in its fifty second year, has opted for a dramatic change to its usual spread.
The calendar, produced annually since 1964, traditionally centres on the breathtaking forms of female supermodels, under artful lighting, in various states of undress. This year however, the Pirelli 2016 calendar will be celebrating ‘women of achievement’, featuring the likes of Amy Schumer, Yoko Ono, Serena Williams, Fran Leibowitz, Sharin Neshat, Yao Chen and Patti Smith.
Shot by widely acclaimed photographer Annie Liebovitz, the 2016 calendar expresses simple portraits of 12 women chosen for their “professional, social, cultural, sporting and artistic accomplishment”. In a break from the norm, not all of the women are nude, instead they are photographed more naturally, in simple attire reflective of each individual.
Unlike previous years, the 2016 calendar is set to pay homage to women from around the world that have done something outstanding with their lives (other than being massive babes), while simultaneously altering the way women are viewed and appreciated.
Although the annual release of the Pirelli Calendar is widely anticipated, the finished product is only distributed in print-form to an exclusive group of 20 000 VIP people.
The Pirelli calendars ubiquitous prestige can be attributed (amongst other things) to its limited availability, its favourable reputation makes it an extremely viable platform from which to communicate such an important feminist perspective.
Though you will probably never set eyes on one of the few printed editions, we can be certain that the images will continue to make digital waves long into the future.
