Pirelli Calender 2011 unveiled!

For fashion photographers all over the world, yesterday was one of the biggest days of the year, as the 2011 Pirelli Calendar was revealed.

Daria Werbowy as Artemia

This year's issue was particularly anticipated.  Partially because it was photographed by Karl Lagerfield, an institution in himself, but also because this was the first 'Cal' to feature men as focal point models.  A controversial decision, but Karl Lagerfield does what he wants!

Choosing "Mythology" as his theme, the creative director of Chanel and Fendi, photographed fifteen beauties (including Julianne Moore), and three sexy men (including French model Baptiste Giabiconi, Lagerfield's favourite face of nearly three years) as Greek and Roman Deities.

Baptiste Giabiconi as Apollo, the Sun God

Iris Strubegger as Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War

Erin Wasson as Ajax, Trojan Hero

Julianne Moore as Hera, Wife of Zeus and Goddess of Marriage

Elisa Sednaoui as Flora, Goddess of Flowers

Garett Neff, flanked by Isabeli Fontana and Biana Balti as Bacchus (God of Wine) and "two Bacchantes"

......... Oh - sorry, I fell asleep mid-sentence.  Karl Lagerfield - what have you done?  This is one of the dullest Pirelli Calendars I've ever seen!  Everything is uninspired - the poses, the costumes, the facial expressions.

His reasoning for shooting Greeks and Roman Deities in a darkened Parisian studio?  A beach is "too obvious".  The man makes a good point.  We all know that a beach is the only possible location in the world to do a fashion shoot.  Especially a theme like "Mythology". I mean, where else could you possibly shoot Ancient Greek and Roman Gods?  Certainly not Greece or Rome.

What a wasted opportunity.  How cool would it have looked to have the Pantheon in Rome as the backdrop?  This is nearly as bad as last year's photographer Terry Richardson going to Brazil and producing photos that look like they were taken by a hick farmer outside his shed in Alabama.

Lagerfeld said that he produced “the visual version of Homer. I did with my camera what he did with his pen, although we understand that he probably didn't use a pen.”  Granddad, with such a knowledge of literature you're clearly being wasted in fashion. 

 

Verdict?  Lazy and uninspired.   Go to the back of the class.

And Pirelli?  Bring back 1984's Uwe Ommer! (and beaches if needs be)

 

 

The Pirelli Calendar

November may not be good for many things, but believe it or not, it's an exciting time in the fashion world.  Why?  Because on the 30th of November, a new Pirelli Calender is unveiled!

This year there's even more of a buzz, because tomorrow the first-ever documentary about "The Cal" ('The Saga of the Pirelli calendar' created by Emmanuel Le Ber) will be broadcast on the French TV channel Paris Premiere.  So I thought now would be a good time to trip down memory lane and revisit some of the Pirelli calendar's memorable moments.

Every year a renowned photographer from the fashion world is invited by tire company Pirelli (yes - tire company), to take a series of images that celebrate the female form.  Only 40,000 calendars are produced, and are gifted to celebrity VIPs and a restricted number of Pirelli customers.  Every calendar becomes a collectors item, and nearly every fashion photographer wants to be behind one.

So how does a tire company end up creating and sustaining one of the most coveted possessions in the fashion world?!

Actually, the Pirelli Calendar was intended to be an auto-garage pin-up "girly calendar".  Pirelli Ltd in the UK decided to issue a Calendar as a gift for their top U.K. customers.  In 1964 they got Beatle's photographer Robert Freeman to take the snaps.  The images were so beautiful that the calendar was released for distribution.  It was an instant sensation

Sonny Freeman-Drane, wife of Robert Freeman, and reputed lover of John Lennon.

The early editions had a European refinement:  they were sunny, simple, and almost wholesome.

Photographer: Brian Duffy, 1965

Photographer: Peter Knapp, 1966

Photographer: Harri Peccinotti, 1969

In 1970 French photographer Francis Giacobetti brought a new sophistication to the pictures.  Oozing sensuality, they were tactile, warm, and erotic.

The 1972 edition was the first to include topless images. Sarah Moon, a British fashion photographer, was a surprising choice: partly because no woman had been hired before, and partly because she was unpopular with journalists. Nonetheless, she took the calendar in a distinct new direction: choosing petite models, and creating delicate images filled with feminine intimacy. Many of Pirelli's calendar customers complained that the 1972 calendar had 'lesbian' qualities.

From here on, the calendar became as much about story-telling as sex.

Uwe Ommer, 1984

Bert Stern, 1986

Arthur Elgort, 1990

Clive Arrowsmith, 1991

Richard Avedon, 1995

Bruce Weber, 1998

Mario Testino, 2001

Nick Knight, 2004

Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, 2006

Patrick Demarchelier, 2008

Depending on how good (or bad) the documentary is, I'd like to revisit this topic, looking at each year in-depth.  The calendar reflects changing perceptions of beauty and taste.  There's a lot to discuss!

By the way, this post will feature tomorrow on Irish Fashion Blog What Will I Wear Today, where I've recently become a guest blogger.  It's a great site - check it out!

The 2011 Pirelli calendar was shot by Karl Lagerfeld in Paris earlier this year.  It features Isabeli Fontana, Heidi Mount, Bianca Balti, Lara Stone, Natasha Poly, Iris Strubegger, Elisa Sednaoui, Magdalena Frackowiak, Julianne Moore. It will be unveiled in Moscow on the 30th of November.