Pirelli's traditionally raunchy calendar given a feminist makeover

The annual Pirelli calendar has a dramatic new look, abandoning its usual sexualised style for images of strong, high achieving women.

Since the 1980s Pirelli calendars have featured photoshopped nude pictures of the world's top supermodels.

But next year’s calendar - shot by Annie Leibovitz - breaks tradition by showcasing a range of "women of achievement" of various sizes, ages and ethnicities who have been chosen for their “professional, social, cultural, sporting and artistic accomplishment”.

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Patti Smith looks authentically herself, in a black vest, jeans, lace-up boots and hair flowing.

Hollywood commedienne Amy Schumer poses on a stool holding a takeaway coffee, showing natural untouched body folds.

Schumer and Serena Williams were the only two subjects to pose in just underwear bottoms.

Chairwoman of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy, Selma director Ava DuVernay and singer Patti Smith, took a minimalist approach to photoshopping while artist Yoko Ono wore a circus ringmaster-inspired outfit of corset and fishnet tights.

Asked whether the photos had been subject to digital enhancement after the shoot, Leibovitz said:

"There's very little work done on this, it's done black and white...

"There might be a little cleaning up, but they're pretty straightforward. It was important to stay that way."

Serena Williams is pictured nude except for black briefs, and is showing off her impressive musculature while lunging away from the camera.

Schumer, who posed topless holding a coffee like the boss she is, shared the picture on twitter with the caption "Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman.”

Joining Leibovitz at the calendar's launch in London on Monday were three of its models, actress Yao Chen, the first Chinese UN goodwill ambassador, 19-year-old blogger Tavi Gevinson, and art patron Agnes Gund, who was photographed alongside her granddaughter Sadie Hope-Gund.

Also featuring in the calendar are supermodel Natalia Vodianova, writer Fran Lebowitz, Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat, and president of Ariel Investments Mellody Hobson.

She spoke of her disbelief at the calibre of women they had convinced to do the shoot.

"I still can't believe the women who agreed to do it did it," she said.

She said that when originally approached by Pirelli she suggested using performance artists or female comedians as a "take up" of past calendars as she did not believe they would be able to make an immediate shift from supermodels and actresses to celebrating women who were making a difference in the world.

Leibovitz admitted that the the idea of photographing distinguished women was a "departure" for the calendar but denied it was a "watershed moment".

"I don't want to think of this as a watershed moment as much as a shift to being on top. This is not a watershed moment. It's been going on.

"Pirelli gave us this moment but it's always been here," she said.

"It shouldn't be such a big step but it is," she added.

Leibovitz spoke with warmth about Schumer's shoot, which features her sitting in just nude pants and heels sipping a take-away cup of coffee, "as if she didn't get the memo saying she could keep her clothes on".

"We were lucky to get her. I had an idea and she got it immediately. She was so bright. She was willing to play that role.

"I was worried. I asked if she was self-conscious. And she said, 'Do I look self-conscious?'"

Schumer said of the photo: "I felt like I looked more beautiful and more like myself that I'd ever looked in my entire life."

2016 marks the 43rd edition of the Pirelli calendar which has been shot by names such as Bruce Weber, Mario Testino and Karl Lagerfeld and featured famous supermodels through the years like Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Only a select number are produced and are given as corporate gifts to customers and VIPs.

Leibovitz has shot the Pirelli calendar twice, in 2000 was her first time which was ironically the first time she had worked on a professional nude set.