# Pirelli Calendar

The Pirelli Calendar, known and trade-marked as "The Cal", is an annual trade calendar which has been published by the UK subsidiary of the Italian tyre manufacturing company Pirelli since 1964. The calendar has a reputation for its choice of photographers and models and featured glamour photography from the 1980s until the 2010s.
The calendar is produced with limited availability (20,000 are printed annually). Copies do not go on sale, but are instead given as corporate gifts to celebrities and select Pirelli customers. The annual production cost was about US$2 million in 2017. Marco Tronchetti Provera, Pirelli's CEO from 1992 to 2022, commented that the purpose of the Cal is "to mark the passing of time" by recording the zeitgeist.

## History

The Cal was originally created by the British art director Derek Forsyth. After an unpublished mockup in 1962, it became an annual publication from 1964. In some of the earlier calendars Pirelli tyres featured prominently, though this marketing aspect was later dropped. The first woman photographer to shoot the calendar was Sarah Moon in 1972. Publication was discontinued after the 1974 issue as an economizing cutback in response to the world recession resulting from the 1973 oil crisis. It was resurrected 10 years later and has been published regularly since then except for 2021.
For the first ten years of the calendar's existence, it included photographs of fully clothed women, but an emphasis on nudity developed during the 1980s. The 1987 calendar, photographed by Terrence Donovan, was the first to feature only black models, included a bare-bottomed 16-year-old Naomi Campbell. The models were photographed topless in Savannah-like settings and styled in tribal fashion. The calendar continued to use mainly eroticised images until the mid-2010s, although in some instances the pictures taken by the photographers were considered by the editors to be too risqué to use.
From the mid-2010s the calendar moved away from eroticism, and around this time diversity began to be addressed. The 2008 calendar was photographed by Patrick Demarchelier in Shanghai and included a number of Asian models. At the same time a book, The Complete Works: The Pirelli Calendar 1964–2007, was published by Mondadori. The 2010 calendar, photographed by Terry Richardson, used similar imagery to that which was used in the calendar in the 1960s. In 2014 Pirelli released an unpublished calendar from 1986 shot by photographer Helmut Newton. A 50th anniversary book, Pirelli - The Calendar: 50 Years and More, was published by Taschen in 2015.
The 2016 calendar, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, aimed to celebrate women for their accomplishments rather than their physical attributes. It included Fran Lebowitz, Mellody Hobson, Serena Williams, Yoko Ono and Patti Smith to represent inspiring women of diverse ages in almost entirely clothed portraits. The 2017 calendar was photographed by Peter Lindbergh and the women in the photographs were fully dressed and wore minimal makeup. It was the first calendar in which the photographs had not been retouched. The women photographed included Helen Mirren, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. For the 2018 calendar, photographer Tim Walker chose to feature only black models, including Duckie Thot, Adwoa Aboah, RuPaul, Whoopi Goldberg, and Thando Hopa.
The 2021 calendar was cancelled because of the global coronavirus pandemic but returned for 2022, featuring musicians and titled On The Road. In 2024, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Cal, Prince Gyasi became the first black photographer to produce an edition of the calendar.

## Models

Appearance in the calendar has become a mark of distinction for those photographic models who are chosen, as well as for the photographers commissioned to produce the images used. Between 1997 and 2015 casting director Jennifer Starr also influenced the look and direction of each calendar. Over the years, the models and celebrities who have appeared in it include Alessandra Ambrosio, Bianca Balti, Ana Beatriz Barros, Malgosia Bela, Elsa Benítez, Mariacarla Boscono (3), Lauren Bush, Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell (5), Gracie Carvalho, Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford, Emanuela de Paula, Waris Dirie, Yamila Díaz, Lily Donaldson, Isabeli Fontana (8), Magdalena Frackowiak, Saskia de Brauw, Sonny Freeman Drane, Gigi Hadid, Duckie Thot, Bridget Hall, Filippa Hamilton, Miranda Kerr, Karlie Kloss, Heidi Klum, Karolína Kurková (3), Noémie Lenoir, Adriana Lima (3), Daisy Lowe, Angela Lindvall, Lakshmi Menon, Kate Moss (3), Petra Nemcová, Sasha Pivovarova, Natasha Poly, Frankie Rayder, Coco Rocha, RuPaul, Anja Rubik, Joan Smalls, Lara Stone (3), Fernanda Tavares, Caroline Trentini, Christy Turlington, Guinevere Van Seenus, Edita Vilkeviciute, Natalia Vodianova (5), Alek Wek (3), Daria Werbowy and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Actresses: Patricia Arquette, Nadja Auermann, Monica Bellucci, Selma Blair, Laetitia Casta (3), Jessica Chastain, Yao Chen, Maggie Cheung, Aurélie Claudel, Lily Cole, Rachael Leigh Cook, Penélope Cruz, Lou Doillon, Julia Garner, Whoopi Goldberg, Shalom Harlow, Neith Hunter, Milla Jovovich, Nicole Kidman, James King, Nastassja Kinski, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Doutzen Kroes, Jennifer Lopez, Sophia Loren, Audrey Marnay, Sienna Rose Miller, Julianne Moore, Bridget Moynahan, Brittany Murphy, Carolyn Murphy, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlotte Rampling, Eva Riccobono, Amy Schumer, Elisa Sednaoui, Léa Seydoux, Jenny Shimizu, Amy Smart, Julia Stiles, Hilary Swank, Uma Thurman, Ai Tominaga, Naomi Watts, Kate Winslet, Robin Wright, and Zhang Ziyi.
Athlete: Serena Williams.
Dancer: Misty Copeland.
Singer: Patti Smith.

## Photographers

Peter Lindbergh produced three editions of the calendar and Annie Leibovitz two.
For Patrick Demarchelier, the Cal is "the most prestigious calendar in the world".
In the trend of the MeToo movement and Weinstein effect, the Cal 2019 by Albert Watson featured Laetitia Casta in lingerie without teasing nudity.
| Year | Photographer(s) | Location(s) | Models |
| 1963 | Terence Donovan | London | unpublished |
| 1964 | Robert Freeman | Majorca | Jane Lumb, Sonny Freeman |
| 1965 | Brian Duffy | South of France | Annabella e Virginia, Pauline Dukes, Jeannette Harding, Pauline Stone |
| 1966 | Peter Knapp [fr] | Al Hoceima, Morocco | Shirley Ann |
| 1967 | no calendar | no calendar | no calendar |
| 1968 | Harry Peccinotti | Tunisia | Pat Booth, Jill la Tour, Elisa Ngai, Ulla Randall |
| 1969 | Harry Peccinotti | California | non-professional models |
| 1970 | Francis Giacobetti [fr] | Paradise Island, | Anak, Alexandra Bastedo, Paula Martine, Pipa |
| 1971 | Francis Giacobetti | Jamaica | Caileen Bell, Kate Howard, Angela McDonald, Christine Townson |
| 1972 | Sarah Moon | Villa Les Tilleuls, Paris | Mick Lindburg, Suzanne Moncur, Boni Pfeifer, Inger Hammer, Magritt Rahn, Barbara Trethman |
| 1973 | Brian Duffy | London | Nicki Allen, Erica Creer, Elizabeth, Kate Howard, Nicki Howorth, Kari Ann, Kubi, Jane Lumb, Penny Steele, Pauline Stone, Sue Paul, Vida, Vicky Wilks |
| 1974 | Hans Feurer | Seychelles | Chichinou, Kathy Cochaux, Kim, Marana, Eva Nielsen |
| 1975 | 1983 | no calendar | no calendar | no calendar |
| 1984 | Uwe Ommer | The Bahamas | Angie Layne, Suzie-Ann Watkins, Jane Wood, Julie Martin |
| 1985 | Norman Parkinson | Edinburgh | Anna Andersen, Cecilia, Iman Abdulmajid, Lena, Sherry |
| 1986 | Bert Stern | the Cotswolds | Jane Arwood, Julia Boleno, Joni Flyn, Gloria, Caroline Hallett, Luise King, Juliet, Deborah Leng, Clare MacNamara, Samantha, Beth Toussaint, Suzy Yeo |
| 1987 | Terence Donovan | Bath | Ione Brown, Naomi Campbell, Collette Brown, Gillian de Terville, Waris Dirie |
| 1988 | Barry Lategan Gillian Lynne's choreography | London | Briony Brind, Victoria Dyer, Nicola Keen, Kim Lonsdale, Sharon McGorian, Noomi Sorkin, Carol Straker, Hugo Bregman |
| 1989 | Joyce Tenneson | Polaroid Studios, New York City | Susan Allcorn, Kathryn Bishop, Gretchen Eichholz, Rebecca Glen, Rosemarie Griego, Brigitte Luzar, Nicky (Nicole Nagel), Gilda Meyer-Nichof, Dannielle Scott, Akure Wall, Susan Waseen, Lisa Whiting |
| 1990 | Arthur Elgort | Seville | Laurie Bernhardt, Laure Bogeart, Christina Cadiz, Anna Klevag, Florence Poretti, Debrah Saron |
| 1991 | Clive Arrowsmith | France | Alison Fitzpatrick, Lynne Koester, Monika Kassner, Paola Siero, Nancy Liu, Katherina Trug, Jackie Old Coyote, Tracy Hudson, Rachel Boss, Carole Jimenez, Saskia van der Waarde, Rina Lucarelli, Susie Hardie-Bick |
| 1992 | Clive Arrowsmith | Almería | Julienne Davis, Alison Fitzpatrick, Judi Taylor |
| 1993 | John Claridge | Seychelles | Christina Estrada, Barbara Moors, Claudie |
| 1994 | Herb Ritts | Paradise Island, The Bahamas | Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford, Karen Alexander, Kate Moss |
| 1995 | Richard Avedon | New York | Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Farrah Summerford, Nadja Auermann |
| 1996 | Peter Lindbergh | El Mirage, California | Carré Otis, Kristen McMenamy, Eva Herzigová, Navia Nguyen, Nastassja Kinski, Tatjana Patitz |
| 1997 | Richard Avedon | New York | Honor Fraser, Ling Tan, Monica Bellucci, Sophie Patitz, Cordula Reyer, Inés Sastre, Waris Dirie, Anna Klevhag, Gisele Zelauy [pt], Irina Pantaeva, Kristina Semenovskaia, Tatiana Zavialova, Marie Sophie Wilson, Jenny Shimizu, Brandi Quiñones, Nikki Uberti, Julia Ortiz, Annie Morton |
| 1998 | Bruce Weber | Miami | Tanga Moreau, Stella Tennant, Milla Jovovich, Carolyn Murphy, Eva Herzigová, Patricia Arquette, Kirsty Hume, Shalom Harlow, Elaine Irwin Mellencamp, Kiara Kabukuru, Georgina Grenville, Rachel Roberts, Daryl Hannah |
| 1999 | Herb Ritts | Los Angeles | Chandra North, Sophie Dahl, Karen Elson, Michele Hicks, Carolyn Murphy, Shirley Mallmann, Laetitia Casta, Audrey Marnay, Elsa Benítez, Bridget Hall, Angela Lindvall, Alek Wek |
| 2000 | Annie Leibovitz | Rhinebeck | Laetitia Casta, Alek Wek, Jacqui Agyepong, five dancers from the Mark Morris Dance Group: Marjorie Folkman, Lauren Grant, June Omura, Mireille Radwan-Dana, Julie Worden |
| 2001 | Mario Testino | Naples | Aurélie Claudel, Rhea Durham, Gisele Bündchen, Karen Elson, Mariana Weickert, Fernanda Tavares, Angela Lindvall, Ana Cláudia Michels, Liisa Winkler, Noémie Lenoir, Frankie Rayder, Carmen Kass |
| 2002 | Peter Lindbergh | Hollywood | Amy Smart, Brittany Murphy, Julia Stiles, Rachael Leigh Cook, Erika Christensen, Selma Blair, Lauren Bush, James King, Bridget Moynahan |
| 2003 | Bruce Weber | Campania | Sienna Rose Miller, Eva Riccobono, Heidi Klum, Mariacarla Boscono, Isabeli Fontana, Valentina Stilla, Filippa Hamilton, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jessica Miller, Rania Faslan, Karolína Kurková, Sophie Dahl, Bridget Hall, Lisa Seiffert, Yamila Díaz, Natalia Vodianova, Marcelo Boldrini |
| 2004 | Nick Knight | London | Adina Fohlin, Natalia Vodianova, Dewi Driegen, Mariacarla Boscono, Jessica Miller, Esther de Jong, Ai Tominaga, Amanda Moore, Alek Wek, Frankie Rayder, Karolína Kurková, Liberty Ross, Pollyanna McIntosh |
| 2005 | Patrick Demarchelier | Rio de Janeiro | Filippa Hamilton, Julia Stegner, Eugenia Volodina, Naomi Campbell, Isabeli Fontana, Michelle Buswell, Adriana Lima, Erin Wasson, Diana Dondoe, Liliane Ferrarezi, Marija Vujovic, Valentina Zelyaeva |
| 2006 | Mert Alas Marcus Piggot | Côte d'Azur | Jennifer Lopez, Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen, Natalia Vodianova, Karen Elson, Guinevere Van Seenus |
| 2007 | Inez and Vinoodh | studio set | Penélope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Lou Doillon, Hilary Swank, Naomi Watts |
| 2008 | Patrick Demarchelier | Shanghai | 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 | Mariacarla Boscono, Daria Werbowy, Malgosia Bela, Rianne ten Haken, Lara Stone, Emanuela de Paula, Isabeli Fontana |
| 2010 | Terry Richardson | Trancoso, Bahia, Brazil | Catherine McNeil, Enikő Mihalik, Ana Beatriz Barros, Miranda Kerr, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Daisy Lowe, Gracie Carvalho, Lily Cole, Marloes Horst, Georgina Stojiljkovic |
| 2011 | Karl Lagerfeld | Paris (studio set) | Isabeli Fontana, Heidi Mount, Bianca Balti, Lara Stone, Natasha Poly as Melpomene, Iris Strubegger as Athena, Elisa Sednaoui as Flora, Magdalena Frackowiak, Julianne Moore as Hera, Freja Beha Erichsen, Daria Werbowy, Erin Wasson as Ajax, Baptiste Giabiconi as Apollo, Brad Kroenig, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Lakshmi Menon, Garrett Neff, Jake Davies, Jeneil Williams, Anja Rubik, Sébastien Jondeau [it] |
| 2012 | Mario Sorrenti | Domaine de Murtoli, Sartène, Corsica | Lara Stone, Kate Moss, Guinevere Van Seenus, Edita Vilkevičiūtė, Rinko Kikuchi, Milla Jovovich, Saskia de Brauw, Joan Smalls, Natasha Poly, Isabeli Fontana, Malgosia Bela, Margareth Madè |
| 2013 | Steve McCurry | Rio de Janeiro | Isabeli Fontana, Petra Nemcová, Sônia Braga, Hanaa Ben Abdesslem, Liya Kebede, Adriana Lima, Summer Rayne Oakes, Kyleigh Kühn, Marisa Monte, Karlie Kloss, Elisa Sednaoui |
| 2014 | Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier | New York (studio set) 50th anniversary | Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio, Helena Christensen, Isabeli Fontana, Karolína Kurková |
| 2014 | Helmut Newton | Montecarlo, Chianti | Neith Hunter, Susie Bick, Betty Prado, Antonia Dell'Atte [it] |
| 2015 | Steven Meisel | New York City | Adriana Lima, Natalia Vodianova, Raquel Zimmermann, Isabeli Fontana, Sasha Luss, Anna Ewers, Carolyn Murphy, Cameron Russell, Gigi Hadid, Candice Huffine, Karen Elson, Joan Smalls |
| 2016 | Annie Leibovitz | New York City, Leibovitz studio | Tavi Gevinson, Serena Williams, Amy Schumer, Yoko Ono, Fran Lebowitz, Patti Smith, Yao Chen, Natalia Vodianova, Kathleen Kennedy, Mellody Hobson, Ava DuVernay, Agnes Gund, Shirin Neshat |
| 2017 | Peter Lindbergh | Berlin, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Le Touquet | Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, Helen Mirren, Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlotte Rampling, Léa Seydoux, Uma Thurman, Alicia Vikander, Kate Winslet, Robin Wright, Zhang Ziyi, Anastasia Ignatova |
| 2018 | Tim Walker | London | Whoopi Goldberg as the Royal Duchess, RuPaul as the Queen of Hearts, Lupita Nyong'o as the Dormouse, Djimon Hounsou as the King of Hearts, Puff Daddy, Naomi Campbell as Royal Beheader, Lil Yachty, Adwoa Aboah as Tweedledee, Sasha Lane as the Mad March Hare, Duckie Thot as Alice, Thando Hopa as the Princess of Hearts, Slick Woods as the Mad Hatter, Zoe Bedeaux as the Caterpillar, Alpha Dia as the card gardener, Jaha Dukureh, King Owusu as the card gardener, Wilson Oryema, Adut Akech |
| 2019 | Albert Watson | Miami, New York | Laetitia Casta as the painter and Sergei Polunin, Misty Copeland as the dancer and Calvin Royal III, Julia Garner as the photographer and Astrid Eika, Gigi Hadid as the heiress and Alexander Wang |
| 2020 | Paolo Roversi | Paris / Verona | Claire Foy • Mia Goth • Chris Lee • Indya Moore • Rosalía • Stella Roversi • Yara Shahidi • Kristen Stewart • Emma Watson |
| 2021 | no calendar | no calendar | no calendar |
| 2022 | Bryan Adams | Los Angeles, Capri | Iggy Pop • Rita Ora • Cher • Grimes • Normani • Kali Uchis • Jennifer Hudson • Saweetie • St. Vincent • Bohan Phoenix |
| 2023 | Emma Summerton | New York, London | Karlie Kloss as the Tech Savant • Adut Akech as the Dream Catcher • Bella Hadid as the Sprite • Emily Ratajkowski as the Writer • Cara Delevingne as the Performer • Sasha Pivovarova as the Painter • Guinevere van Seenus as the Photographer • Ashley Graham as the Activist • Lauren Wasser as the Athlete • Kaya Wilkins as the Musician • Adwoa Aboah as the Queen • Precious Lee as the Storyteller • Lila Moss as the Seer • He Cong as the Sage |
| 2024 | Prince Gyasi | Ghana, London 60th anniversary | Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II • Naomi Campbell • Margot Lee Shetterly • Angela Bassett • Amanda Gorman • Tiwa Savage • Idris Elba • Jeymes Samuel • Amoako Boafo • Teyana Taylor • Marcel Desailly |

## Filmography

* The Pirelli Calendar Saga (2010) by Emmanuel Le Ber

## Exhibitions

* 2014: The Cal – Collezione Pirelli at Palazzo Reale in Milan: photos of Richard Avedon, Peter Beard, Patrick Demarchelier, Peter Lindbergh, Steve McCurry, Steven Meisel, Herb Ritts, and Bruce Weber.
* 2016: during the New York Fashion Week Fall 2016, inside Skylight at Moynihan Station: photos by Hans Feurer, Inez and Vinoodh, Peter Lindbergh, Steve McCurry, Mert and Marcus, Herb Ritts, and Bruce Weber
* 2018: 2017 Pirelli Calendar By Peter Lindbergh And More.., Multimedia Art Museum of Moscow, the Vasnetsov brothers art museum of Kirov, Kaliningrad museum of fine arts, Novosibirsk State Art Museum, Abakan picture gallery