Pirelli Parties like It's 1990 in 50th Anniversary of Calendar
To commemorate the history of the cult calendar, Alessandra Ambrosio, Helena Christensen, Karolina Kurkova, Isabeli Fontana, Miranda Kerr, and Alek Wek posed on the beach outside New York City in a variety of black swimsuits.
The racy, annual Pirelli calendar turns 50 this year, and some of the biggest names in the modeling world have stripped down to celebrate. Photos of Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio, Helena Christensen, Alek Wek, Karolina Kurkova, and Isabeli Fontana from a special commemorative photo shoot have surface have surfaced months prior to the 2014 calendar release in November, and they are awesome. All the aforementioned models and photographers have all been involved with the famous calendar in the past. Veteran, Fontana, has done six editions dating back to 2003. Esteemed fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh recently shot the girls on a beach outside New York City, while renowned shutterbug Patrick Demarchelier took additional portraits in a New York studio. While they're not as nude as the typical calendar photos, most of them have a raw, stripped down feel. They instantly conjure up the iconic photo Lindbergh once shot of '90s supermodels Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Tatjana Patitz for British Vogue. Perhaps this commemorative photo shoot was an homage to the supermodel days of yore.
In its 50 year history, the Pirelli calendar has depicted some of the most beautiful, famous faces (and naked bodies!) from supermodels like Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Gisele, to celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Penelope Cruz. Photographers snapping the legendary photos have included everyone from Herb Ritts and Richard Avedon to Karl Lagerfeld and Terry Richardson. Previous shoot locations include diverse international locales like Paris, Shanghai, London, Rio de Janeiro, and Naples, and U.S. Cities like Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City. The first-ever 1964 issue was shot by the Beatles' photographer, Robert Freeman and commissioned by the British subsidiary of the Pirelli Group, Pirelli UK Limited.
Much of the prestige behind the annual Pirelli calendar is that it's not available for purchase. Instead, around 20,000 copies are distributed exclusively to the world's top VIP industry executives and institutions, making it an instant collectors item with a cult following. (There are currently a handful in the hundred dollar range on eBay.) According to the UK Sunday Times (via Fashion Copious), models and photographers can't request to be included, they must be invited to participate, and sign everyone involved signs a non-disclosure agreement. This year's calendar will be revealed at an event in Milan on November 21. Until then, these anniversary photos should tide you over. By Joanna Douglas, Yahoo! Shine Senior Fashion & Beauty Editor
