Pirelli calendar celebrates 50 years: Miranda Kerr, Helena Christensen and Alessandra Ambrosio star in anniversary photo shoot



Shot by renowned fashion photographers Patrick Demarchelier and Peter Lindbergh

Features Alessandra Ambrosio, Helena Christensen, Karolina Kurkova, Alek Wek, Miranda Kerr and Isabeli Fontana

Simple studio shoot sees supermodels dressed down in shirts and jumpers

Move away from more provocative images featuring nude women

Youngest model used is Karolina Kurkova, 29, Helena Christensen is the oldest at 44




The annual Pirelli calendar brings together the world's most beautiful women and the fashion industry's most celebrated photographers and stylists in a celebration of the female body.

This week Pirelli released images from its hotly anticipated 50th anniversary photoshoot featuring a stellar line-up of supermodels perfectly under-dressed and shot by renowned fashion photographers Patrick Demarchelier and Peter Lindbergh.

Over the years its calendars have been designed to raise eyebrows with their provocative imagery featuring very little clothing and OTT hair and make-up design, but for the 2014 shoot the Italian tyre manufacturer has let the talent do the talking by presenting a simple studio shoot feature megastars Alessandra Ambrosio, Helena Christensen, Karolina Kurkova, Alek Wek, Miranda Kerr and Isabeli Fontana dressed in over-sized shirts and jumpers.

The 50th anniversary Pirelli calendar features (l-r) Alessandra Ambrosio, Helena Christensen, Karolina Kurkova, Alek Wek, Miranda Kerr and Isabeli Fontana



Peter Lindbergh took this image of the women wearing masculine roll-neck jumpers The subtle sexiness of the shots is a far cry from previous years calendars which often featured artistic nudity

Launched in 1964, the calendars, released by Pirelli to a notoriously limited group of exclusive VIP customers, have featured nearly every top model of the past decades .

In keeping with tradition, this year's offerings are incredibly flattering, which isn't difficult when the photographers are able to cherry pick the most beautiful women in the world as the subjects.

In one shot Victoria's Angels Alessandra, 32, and Miranda, 30, pose next to Alek, 36, Karolina, 29, Isabelli, 30 and Helena, 44 in men's white shirts and simple briefs.



In another the women ramp up the sex appeal and show off six pairs of endless legs in black basques and corset tops.



The shots capture the retro feel of Peter Lindbergh's iconic 90s photographs of the original supermodels, including Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell that so captured the time.



The long legs of the models, and a flash or two of torso is all the flesh that is exposed this year, but the shots are still provocative and sexy

The pared down styling of the pictures only serves to emphasize the beauty of the supermodels, who range in age from 30 to 44 A behind the scenes shot shows the girls being prepared for the shoot in New York

While the results of the 2014 celebratory shoot are undeniably sexy, the more discreet feel represents a move away from the more blatant nudity for which the calendar had become famous.



A famous shot from the 1984 edition featured four models lying on their stomachs in the ocean, totally naked, with a tyre track in sand across each of their bottoms.

Many shots have also shown the models or celebrities baring their breasts or posing provocatively .

In the world of Pirelli calenders the photographer is almost as important as the top models that star in them.

'Pirelli is not a job, really. You do what you want. It's very liberating,' Patrick Demarchelier told The Sunday Times Style magazine.

His co-creative on the job photographer Peter Lindbergh said: 'About 25 companies have asked me to do a calendar like Pirelli. They want chocolate or machines in the picture. What do I tell them? In English? Why don't you f*** off and ask somebody else?'



The full 50th anniversary photoshoot will be revealed in Milan on November 21

Karoline Kurkova and Alek Wek sport wild hair in this timeless black and white shot Miranda Kerr takes a look at the results of a shoot behind the scenes 1970: Dramatic lighting creates an intense bikinis shot for Francis Giacobetti at Paradise Island in The Bahamas

1984: This cheeky picture features tyre tracks in sand across four bare derrieres

1995: A wild-looking Christy Turlington was Miss November

These pictures from 1994 (left) and 2008 (right) embody the sexy and exotic feel for which the calenders have become renowned















