The Pirelli Calendar has become an annual publication that belies its origin in 1964 as merely a trade calendar published by the Pirelli company's UK subsidiary.
The calendar is famous for its limited availability because it is not sold and is only given as a corporate gift to a restricted number of important Pirelli customers and celebrity VIPs. The Pirelli Calendar is perhaps the world's only prestigious and exclusive "girly" calendar, featuring pictures generally considered glamour photography including artistic nudes.
Publication was discontinued after the 1974 issue as an economising cut back in response to the world recession from the oil shock. It was resurrected 10 years later and has been published regularly since then.
Appearance on the calendar has become a mark of distinction for those photographic models that are chosen, as well as for the photographers commissioned to produce the images used. Over the years the supermodels and celebrities who have appeared have included Sienna Miller, Naomi Campbell, Eva Riccobono, Malgosia Bela, Gisele Bündchen, Sonny Freeman Drane, Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, Selma Blair, Lauren Bush, Elsa Benitez, Laetitia Casta, Rachael Leigh Cook, Milla Jovovich, Doutzen Kroes, Heidi Klum, Sophia Loren, Penélope Cruz, Brittany Murphy, Amy Smart, Julia Stiles, Karolina Kurkova, Caroline Trentini, Raica Oliveira, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Bridget Moynahan, Shannyn Sossamon, Mena Suvari, Monet Mazur, Aurelie Claudel, Fernanda Tavares, Isabeli Fontana, Frankie Rayder, Angela Lindvall, Hilary Swank and Yamila Díaz.
The 2009 Pirelli Calendar fotoshooting was made in the Botswana Okavango Delta in a luxury Elephant-Camp during first week of May 2008.
Photographers and locations
| Year
|
Photographer
|
Location
|
Models
|
| 1964
|
Robert Freeman |
Majorca, Spain |
|
| 1965
|
Brian Duffy |
South of France |
|
| 1966
|
Peter Knapp |
Al Hoceima, Morocco |
|
| 1967
|
no calendar
|
| 1968
|
Harry Peccinotti |
Tunisia |
|
| 1969
|
Harry Peccinotti |
Big Sur, California |
|
| 1970
|
Francis Giacobetti |
Paradise Island, The Bahamas |
|
| 1971
|
Francis Giacobetti |
Jamaica |
|
| 1972
|
Sarah Moon |
Villa Les Tilleuls, Paris |
|
| 1973
|
Brian Duffy |
London, England |
|
| 1974
|
Hans Feurer |
Seychelles |
|
| 1975-1983
|
no calendars
|
| 1984
|
Uwe Ommer |
Bahamas |
|
| 1985
|
Norman Parkinson |
Edinburgh, Scotland |
|
| 1986
|
Bert Stern |
the Cotswolds, England |
|
| 1987
|
Terence Donovan |
Bath, England |
|
| 1988
|
Barry Lategan
(choreographed by Gillian Lynne) |
London, England |
|
| 1989
|
Joyce Tennyson |
the Polaroid Studios, New York |
|
| 1990
|
Arthur Elgort |
Seville, Spain |
|
| 1991
|
Clive Arrowsmith |
France |
|
| 1992
|
Clive Arrowsmith |
Almería, Spain |
|
| 1993
|
John Claridge |
Seychelles |
|
| 1994
|
Herb Ritts |
Paradise Island, the Bahamas |
|
| 1995
|
Richard Avedon |
New York, United States |
|
| 1996
|
Peter Lindbergh |
El Mirage, California, United States |
|
| 1997
|
Richard Avedon |
New York, United States |
|
| 1998
|
Bruce Weber |
Miami, United States |
|
| 1999
|
Herb Ritts |
Los Angeles, United States |
|
| 2000
|
Annie Leibovitz |
Rhinebeck, New York City |
|
| 2001
|
Mario Testino |
Naples, Italy |
|
| 2002
|
Peter Lindbergh |
Hollywood, United States |
|
| 2003
|
Bruce Weber |
Campania, Italy
|
Sienna Miller, Eva Riccobono, Heidi Klum, Mariacarla Boscono, Isabeli Fontana, Valentina Stilla, Filippa Hamilton, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jessica Miller, Natalia Vodianova, Karolina Kurkova, Sophie Dahl, Bridget Hall, Lisa Seiffert, Yamila Diaz Rahi)
|
| 2004
|
Nick Knight |
London, England |
|
| 2005
|
Patrick Demarchelier |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
|
Filippa Palmstierna Hamilton, Julia Stegner, Eugenia Volodina, Naomi Campbell, Isabeli Fontana, Michelle Buswell, Adriana Lima, Erin Wasson, Diana Dondoe, Liliane Ferrarezi, Marija Vujovic, Valentina
|
| 2006
|
Mert Alas and
Marcus Piggot |
Côte d'Azur
|
Jennifer Lopez, Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen, Natalia Vodianova, Karen Elson and Guinevere van Seenius
|
| 2007
|
Inez van Lamsweerde and
Vinoodh Matadin |
studio set
|
Penélope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Lou Doillon, Hilary Swank, Naomi Watts
|
| 2008
|
Patrick Demarchelier |
Shanghai, China
|
Agyness Deyn, Lily Donaldson, Doutzen Kroes, Catherine McNeil, Gemma Ward, Sasha Pivovarova, Coco Rocha, Caroline Trentini, Mo Wandan, Du Juan & Maggie Cheung
|
| 2009
|
Peter Beard |
Okavango Delta, Botswana
|
Mariacarla Boscono, Daria Werbowy, Malgosia Bela, Randal Moore, Lara Stone, Emanuela De Paula, and Isabeli Fontana
|
| 2010
|
Terry Richardson |
Trancoso, Bahia, Brazil
|
Catherine McNeil, Eniko Mihalik, Ana Beatriz Barros, Miranda Kerr, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Daisy Lowe and Lily Cole
|
External links