It’s that time of year again, with the 2013 Pirelli Calendar having been launched in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday. The calendar’s reputation as an exclusive and coveted item is no doubt set to continue as this year’s 40th edition breaks from Pirelli tradition and features, wait for it… fully clothed models.
Always exclusive and always shot by a world-class photographer, the 2013 Pirelli Calendar is the product of American photojournalist Steve McCurry. McCurry said he accepted Pirelli’s offer to take on the coveted assignment on the condition he could do it his way. “I was surprised, because I don’t shoot much fashion, but I do know about beautiful women,” McCurry said at a press conference in Rio. McCurry is best known for his photo of an Afghan refugee with piercing green eyes that appeared on the cover of National Geographic Magazine in 1984.
In a break from the traditional nudity associated with the calendar, 2013 brings a more socially aware theme, with the models having been chosen for not only their beauty, but also for their commitment to foundations, humanitarian projects and non-governmental organizations. “I thought, why don’t we find models who aren’t only gorgeous and beautiful, but are also doing good things?”, McCurry said. The calendar features Karlie Kloss, Kyleigh Kuhn, Summer Rayne, Hanaa Ben Abdesslem, Isabeli Fontana, Liya Kibede, Petra Nemcova and a pregnant Adriana Lima.
The Calendar was shot in Rio over a period of two weeks and alternates portraits of models and actresses with pictures of ordinary people in authentic settings among Rio’s hustle and bustle. “I would say I am a street photographer doing ‘found situations.’ You can photograph nudes anywhere, but these models are clothed and each of them has her own charity. They are purposeful and idealistic people. So I wanted to photograph them in a special place, and Rio was perfect for this,” McCurry said.
The Calendar features 11 models, actresses and singers, spread across 34 colourful images and bound in a calendar-book.
