Culture

Backstage at the New Pirelli Calendar for 2016

landscape-1448888405-pirelli-calendar-2016-december-amy-schumer

The Pirelli calendar, known for its shiny nude portraits and exclusivity, received a makeover for its 43rd edition. With photographer Annie Leibovitz, Pirelli has introduced the new calendar highlighting the influence of women in all different backgrounds and accomplishments.

Wearing more clothes than in the past, Yao Chen, Natalia Vodianova, Kathleen Kennedy, Agnes Gund with her granddaughter Rain Hope-Gund, Serena Williams, Mellody Hobson, Fran Leibovitz, Ava DuVernay, Tavi Gevinson, Shirin Neshat,  Yoko Ono, Patti Smith and Amy Schumer were photographed “We needed more than 12 months,” said Leibovitz, who had full control of the casting, “There is no beginning or end, we could go for much longer”.

While Pirelli has had a reputation for producing super sexy calendars recruiting fashion photographers and top models, Leibovitz said the Italian company was the driving force behind the departure. “They came to me with a mandate to do something different, but I did not answer with certainty, until the beginning of filming to have the complete creative control.”