The 2016 Pirelli Calendar has been revealed to press, guests and collectors from around the world at an event at the Roundhouse in Camden. The 43rd edition of the Pirelli Calendar was created by celebrated American photographer, Annie Leibovitz, who shot the work last July in her New York studio. Leibovitz also created the 2000 Pirelli Calendar, which featured choreographer Mark Morris’s dancers.

The 2016 Pirelli Calendar features 13 women of outstanding professional, social, cultural, sporting and artistic accomplishment including; actress Yao Chen, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador; Russian model Natalia Vodianova; producer Kathleen Kennedy, the Chairperson of Lucasfilm; art collector and patroness Agnes Gund (with her granddaughter Sadie Rain Hope-Gund); tennis player Serena Williams; opinion leader, critic and writer Fran Lebowitz; the President of Ariel Investments, Mellody Hobson; film director Ava DuVernay, whose films include Selma; blogger Tavi Gevinson, founder of Style Rookie and online magazine Rookie; Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat; artist, musician and performer Yoko Ono; singer Patti Smith; and the actress and stand-up comedian Amy Schumer.

The women featured are of different ages and career backgrounds. As was the case with the first few Calendars of the Sixties and more recently in Peter Lindbergh’s 2002, Patrick Demarchelier’s 2008 and Steve McCurry’s 2013 Calendars, it does not feature nude models.

“The 2000 Calendar was an exercise in photographing nudes. It was a simple concept,” Leibovitz says. “For 2016, we did something completely different, but it is still simple. It is a classic set of black-and-white portraits made in the studio.” 

“When Pirelli approached me, they said they wanted to make a departure from the past. They suggested the idea of photographing distinguished women. After we agreed on that, the goal was to be very straightforward. I wanted the pictures to show the women exactly as they are, with no pretense.”

“I’m a great admirer of comediennes. The Amy Schumer portrait added some fun. It’s as if she didn’t get the memo saying that she could keep her clothes on.”

pirellicalendar.com