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gallery
August 30, 2015

50 Years of Fashion’s Sexiest Calendar (NSFW)

By Stephanie Eckardt

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Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ The PIRELLI Calendar.

The list of those who have been involved with the Pirelli Calendar could also read as a roundup of the great models and photographers of the last few decades: Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Iman, Cindy Crawford, Karlie Kloss, Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Weber, Helmut Newton, Peter Lindbergh. Since the Italian tire company started producing its promotional calendar as a way to advertise to car dealers in 1962, it’s become somewhat of a cultural institution. Photographer Patrick Demarchelier has called it the most prestigious calendar in the world: “Every girl we pick says yes.”

Nude photos sponsored by a tire company may sound louche, and at times they have been — Terry Richardson’s photos from 2010 have not aged well. But for the most part, the pictures compiled in Taschen’s Pirelli — The Calendar, 50 Years and More, which came out this weekend, are notable for more than just nudity. The calendar occasionally made history, like in 1987, when a 16-year-old Naomi Campbell was asked to pose topless for a U.K.-produced edition starring only black models. (She called her mom to make sure it was okay.) Campbell appeared again for Richard Avedon in 1995, covered in gold leaf, sand, and butterflies. “If you’re in the fashion industry, working for the Pirelli Calendar is something you dream may one day happen to you,” said Carine Roitfeld.

Click through the slideshow to see some of the best photos from the past 50 years, including a 19-year-old Kate Moss on the beach for Herb Ritts, Natasha Poly as a Greek goddess for Karl Lagerfeld, and Adriana Lima in latex for Steven Meisel.

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1 / 15 Photos
January, 1969 Photographed by Harri Peccinotti in Big Sur, California. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
June, 1971 Kate Howard photographed by Francis Giacobetti in Jamaica.  Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar./MARKUS DIY... June, 1971 Kate Howard photographed by Francis Giacobetti in Jamaica.  Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar./MARKUS DIYANTO
November, 1984 Photographed by Uwe Ommer in the Bahamas. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
Cover, 1987 Waris Dirie photographed by Terence Donovan in Bath, England. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
September, 1988 Photographed by Barry Lategan in London. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
December, 1990 Florence Poretti, Laurie Bernhardt, and Debrah Saron photographed by Arthur Elgort in Seville, Spain. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen... December, 1990 Florence Poretti, Laurie Bernhardt, and Debrah Saron photographed by Arthur Elgort in Seville, Spain. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
January, 1994 Kate Moss photographed by Herb Ritts in Paradise Island, the Bahamas. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar./MARKUS ... January, 1994 Kate Moss photographed by Herb Ritts in Paradise Island, the Bahamas. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar./MARKUS DIYANTO
August, 1995 Naomi Campbell photographed by Richard Avedon in New York. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
April, 2006 Milla Jovovich photographed by Bruce Weber in Miami. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
April, 2006 Gisele Bündchen photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott in Cap d’Antibes, France. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIREL... April, 2006 Gisele Bündchen photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott in Cap d’Antibes, France. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar
April, 2008 Gemma Ward photographed by Patrick Demarchelier in Shanghai, China. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
December, 2009 Photographed by Peter Beard for Okavango Delta, Botswana. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
2011 Natasha Poly as Melpomene photographed by Karl Lagerfeld in Paris. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
July, 2012 Malgosia Bela photographed by Mario Sorrenti in Corsica, France. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
January, 2015 Adriana Lima photographed by Steven Meisel in New York. Photo: Courtesy of Taschen/ © The PIRELLI Calendar.
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  • gallery
  • pirelli calendar
  • pirelli
  • kate moss
  • naomi campbell
  • karlie kloss
  • models
  • fame
  • richard avedon
  • herb ritts
  • bruce weber
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