Pirelli’s 2023 calendar celebrates passion behind the models

Nov 15, 2022, 6:23 PM | Updated: Nov 16, 2022, 12:57 pm


              Model Ashley Graham poses as she arrives to attend the 2023 Pirelli calendar gala at the hangar Bicocca in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Guinevere Van Seenus poses as she arrives to attend the 2023 Pirelli calendar gala at the hangar Bicocca in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Photographer Emma Summerton poses as she arrives to attend the 2023 Pirelli calendar gala at the hangar Bicocca in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              From left, models Ashley Graham, Guinevere Van Seenus, photographer Emma Summerton, models Lauren Wasser, and Precious Lee pose as they arrive to attend the 2023 Pirelli calendar gala at the hangar Bicocca in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Precious Lee poses as she arrives to attend the 2023 Pirelli calendar gala at the hangar Bicocca in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              From left, models Ashley Graham, Precious Lee, Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera, photographer Emma Summerton, models models Lauren Wasser and Guinevere Van Seenus pose as they arrive to attend the 2023 Pirelli calendar gala at the hangar Bicocca in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Ashley Graham holds her picture on the Pirelli calendar as she discusses her appearance in the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa, Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Ashley Graham holds her picture on the Pirelli calendar as she discusses her appearance in the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa at Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Precious Lee discusses her appearance in the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa, Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Precious Lee discusses her appearance in the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa, Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Lauren Wasser discusses her appearance in the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa, Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Photographer Emma Summerton discusses the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa, Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Guinevere Van Seenus discusses her appearance in the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa, Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Guinevere Van Seenus discusses her appearance in the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa, Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Photographer Emma Summerton discusses the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa, Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
            
              Model Ashley Graham discusses her appearance in the 2023 Pirelli calendar during a press preview at the 15th Century Bicocca degli Arcimboldi Villa, Pirelli's headquarters in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton and features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Model Ashley Graham poses as she arrives to attend the 2023 Pirelli calendar gala at the hangar Bicocca in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar titled "Love Letters to the Muse" was shot by Australia photographer Emma Summerton features models representing their personal passions. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

(AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

MILAN (AP) — Top fashion models are used to having a camera lens trained on them. But Ashley Graham, Precious Lee, Guinevere Van Seenus and Lauren Wasser say they truly feel seen in the images of them appearing in the 2023 Pirelli calendar, which highlights their personal passions.

Australian fashion photographer Emma Summerton cast 14 of the world’s most high-profile models in the calendar unveiled Wednesday, titled “Love Letters to the Muse.” Summerton collaborated with each to create dream-like archetypes of women who have inspired her.

Karlie Kloss appears as the tech savant, Emily Ratajkowski as the writer, Cara Delevingne as the performer and Sasha Pivovarova as the painter, each a reference to passions beyond the runway and photo shoots.

“I wanted to give a platform to all the women to talk about who they are and what they do, and celebrate them,” Summerton said. “I think hearing all these great women talk about their journey, who they are, is hopefully really inspiring for other women — and a learning thing for men to know more about women.”

The Pirelli calendar, now in its 49th edition since 1964, has evolved from its pinup origins into a major platform for art photographers, more recently moving away from nudity. For the models in the 2023 calendar, the experience was all about empowerment.

“It’s not your daddy’s kind of calendar anymore,” said Graham, who has campaigned for body inclusivity in the fashion industry. “It’s definitely something that is made by women for women, empowering all different types of people. And I think that that’s what people want to see now.”

“A lot of times when I come on set I’m a character, or I’m selling something,” Graham added. “And in this, I got to be myself. I’m the activist, I’m Ashley, I’m Emma’s muse. What an honor.”

Graham said having both her and fellow curvy model Lee in the calendar shows they are not “a token. We are women who represent women who look like us.”

Lee appears in the calendar as the story teller. She hopes to further represent Black women like herself through screenwriting, bringing to the fore stories that will let young girls see themselves reflected in a way she wasn’t.

Her appearance on fashion billboards already has inspired young girls to reach out to her as a role model, and participating in the Pirelli calendar “is definitely monumental. I think it is unprecedented,” Lee said.

“When I was 7, I didn’t look up on a billboard and see someone like me,” she said. Lee added that she hopes both her modeling and writing help create permanent change so “it won’t be such a rarity, and we won’t be talking about it being unprecedented.”

The image of Wasser shows her posing as Joan of Arc with a real sword and her prosthetic limbs. She lost her legs in her 20s to toxic shock syndrome caused by feminine hygiene products, and has launched a personal campaign to highlight a persistent threat to women’s health that she says is not discussed enough.

“I think that I embody resilience and strength and empowerment and everything I stand for, as far as what I’ve overcome and what I hope to never have happened to another soul again,” Wasser said.

This was Van Seenus’ third Pirelli calendar. She also appeared in the 2006 edition by the creative duo of Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, and the 2012 calendar by Mario Sorrenti.

Van Seenus said it was frowned on when she started out for models to pursue other careers or public passions.

“Now, you really get to be all of these things together and you’re appreciated for the different faces and not expected to be just one pretty thing,” she said. In Summerton’s photographs, “I feel seen. It’s very different.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Mt. Rainier death...

Associated Press

Missing Mount Rainier climber’s body found in crevasse; he was celebrating 80th birthday

Search crews on Mount Rainier have found the body of a man matching the description of an 80-year-old solo climber reported missing

11 hours ago

Washington gun restrictions...

Associated Press

Judge rejects attempt to block new Washington state gun restrictions

A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a request to block a new Washington state law banning the sale of certain semi-automatic rifles

1 day ago

FILE - A man walks past a Microsoft sign set up for the Microsoft BUILD conference, April 28, 2015,...

Associated Press

Microsoft will pay $20M to settle U.S. charges of illegally collecting children’s data

Microsoft will pay a fine of $20 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it illegally collected and retained the data of children

1 day ago

FILE - OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman gestures while speaking at University College London as part of his ...

Associated Press

OpenAI boss ‘heartened’ by talks with world leaders over will to contain AI risks

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Monday he was encouraged by a desire shown by world leaders to contain any risks posed by the artificial intelligence technology his company and others are developing.

2 days ago

FILE - The draft of a bill that President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., neg...

Associated Press

Debt deal imposes new work requirements for food aid and that frustrates many Democrats

Democrats are deeply conflicted about the debt ceiling deal, fearing damage has been done to safety net programs

3 days ago

Seattle lawyer...

Associated Press

Lawsuit alleging ex-deputy falsified arrest report settled for $250K

A lawsuit filed by a Washington oyster farmer accusing a former county deputy of falsifying an arrest report

3 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Medicare fraud...

If you’re on Medicare, you can help stop fraud!

Fraud costs Medicare an estimated $60 billion each year and ultimately raises the cost of health care for everyone.

Men's Health Month...

Men’s Health Month: Why It’s Important to Speak About Your Health

June is Men’s Health Month, with the goal to raise awareness about men’s health and to encourage men to speak about their health.

Internet Washington...

Major Internet Upgrade and Expansion Planned This Year in Washington State

Comcast is investing $280 million this year to offer multi-gigabit Internet speeds to more than four million locations.

Compassion International...

Brock Huard and Friends Rally Around The Fight for First Campaign

Professional athletes are teaming up to prevent infant mortality and empower women at risk in communities facing severe poverty.

Emergency Preparedness...

Prepare for the next disaster at the Emergency Preparedness Conference

Being prepared before the next emergency arrives is key to preserving businesses and organizations of many kinds.

SHIBA volunteer...

Volunteer to help people understand their Medicare options!

If you’re retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you!

Pirelli’s 2023 calendar celebrates passion behind the models