Albert Watson Named The 2019 Pirelli Calendar Photographer

The 2019 Pirelli calendar has been shot by Albert Watson. The Scottish photographer announced the news via his Instagram account today.

Watson, whose photographs have appeared on over 100 Vogue covers worldwide, shot the calendar pictures this April between Miami and New York. Few other details are known, however Watson’s vast portfolio of portraits, including Alfred Hitchcock, Steve Jobs, David Bowie and Kate Moss, made him a clear contender for the project.

76-year-old Watson, who has Max Factor to thank for his first test session in 1970, takes the baton from Tim Walker, who shot this year’s Alice in Wonderland-themed calendar through his wondrous lens. With styling by Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful and set design by Shona Heath, the blockbuster cast, which features the likes of Adwoa Aboah as Tweedledee and Naomi Campbell and Sean Combs as The Royal Beheaders, celebrates inclusivity.

Walker’s high-voltage vision follows the unconventional path of the previous two calendars, which saw Pirelli move away from the soft-core calendar-girl aesthetic it had celebrated since 1964. 2016 saw Annie Leibovitz photograph a series of women celebrated for their accomplishments, rather than just their looks, and 2017’s Peter Lindbergh calendar made waves owing to its non-airbrushed, monochromatic portraits of make-up-free, clothed actresses.