Pirelli’s 2014 Calendar

The New Year has begun, which means that it is now time to get a new calendar for your office or home. For a very select few individuals they have already been gifted one, and the most famous calendar at that. Some call it artistic, and some call it a publicity stunt, but the fact of the matter is that the Pirelli calendar has been considered one of most celebrated icons of corporate communications, which has helped the Pirelli logo achieve the same level of recognition as the Ferrari prancing horse or the Coke bottle. Unfortunately, you cannot buy this legendary calendar as it is only handed out to that select few that matter the most to the Italian tyre company.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary for Pirelli, and last year in August they unveiled a commemorative shoot that featured some of fashion’s most famous models, including super models Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio and Helena Christensen. And while we all thought that was a preview of the 2014 Calendar, we were all sadly mistaken.

Appearances on the calendar are a mark of distinction for the models that are selected, and the calendar has, in the past, featured some of the most famous supermodels in the world, like Cindy Crawford, Naomi Cambell, and Heidi Klum. However, Pirelli chose to go a different way this year and instead have released an unpublished work by late photography legend Helmut Newton.

In 1985 Helmut Newton was working with Pirelli for their 1986 calendar, but for certain reasons he had to back out half-way through the project. But all was not lost as you can see from the new 2014 Pirelli Calendar, as it features the unpublished images that he was working on at the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, where he lived, and at Chianti, Tuscany in Italy. So while in the past we have seen the world’s most famous models pose in provocative positions and half nude, this year the calendar features unknown models that look just as good with their clothes on.

The 2014 Pirelli calendar features 12 black and white photographs taken by Helmut Newton, and it also comes with an additional 29 backstage shots. You can visit the Pirelli website to take a look at all the stunning photos.