Yesterday, the 43rd edition of the famous Pirelli calendar was launched in London. Known for featuring the world’s top model – mostly nude – photographed by renowned photographers, this year’s calendar takes a step away from that by replacing the models with portraits of accomplished writers, filmmakers, artists and philanthropists instead.

Inside the calendar you can find the following women photographed by the powerful Annie Leibovitz:

• Rookie founder Tavi Gevinson
• Tennis legend Serena Williams
• Comedian Amy Schumer
• Artist/activist Yoko Ono
• Writer Fran Lebowitz
• Musician and author Patti Smith
• Supermodel Natalia Vodianova
• Chairperson of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy
• Chinese actress Yao Chen
• Business and financial mogul Mellody Hobson
• Director and screenwriter Ava DuVernay
• Art collector and chairman of MoMA PS1 Agnes Gund with granddaughter Sadie Rain Hope-Gund
• Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat

 The full calendar was cast by Annie and said the following in a press conference at the launch:

Pirelli came to me and told me they wanted to shift this year to something different. I made the suggestion that they do women performance artists or women comedians, almost a take-off. I just thought of women I admired and I didn’t let anyone in the studio from Pirelli. It became a very strong set of very simple portraits […] No one was supposed to look like they tried in these pictures.

I still can’t believe the women who agreed to do it, did it. I felt a big responsibility to that […] It shouldn’t be a big step, but it is a big step.

Annie Leibovitz highlights that the calendar is more book-like this year as it features a paragraph about each woman’s work and influence. Although the notorious calendar’s a collectors item and is only given to Pirelli’s top clients and VIPs, the pictures have of course made it online and have caused much of a stir.

Two of the standouts were Amy Schumer and Serena Williams. Annie asked Amy to pose nude ironically back in July and had this to say on the situation:

She got the whole concept completely. She’s so bright. She was willing to play that role. I was worried for her; I said, ‘Are you self-conscious?’ [Amy] said, ‘Are you kidding? I love my body.’

December

[source: elle]