A Woman's Beauty Isn't in Bikinis or High Heels

Pirelli CalendarThe 2017 edition of the Pirelli Calendar was released, with a press preview held in Paris on November 29, 2016. This year, Peter Lindbergh photographed actresses such as Nicole Kidman and Uma Thurman. The content fully embodies Lindbergh's aesthetic philosophy: 'A woman's beauty isn't in bikinis or high heels.'

The Pirelli Calendar 2017 features a stellar cast.

Alicia Vikander (Gained attention for "Ex Machina" (2015) and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for "The Danish Girl" (same year))

Léa Seydoux (Debuted in Hollywood with Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" (2009), gained attention for "Saint Laurent" (14) and "The Lobster" (15), and was a Bond girl in "Spectre" (15))

Robin Wright (Starred in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011) and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for the TV series "House of Cards" (2013–))

Lupita Nyong'o (Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for "12 Years a Slave" (2013) and appeared in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (15))

Kate Winslet (Rose to fame with "Titanic" (1997) and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for "The Reader" (2008))

Rooney Mara (Nominated for the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011) and won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for "Carol" (15))

Jessica Chastain (A critically acclaimed actress whose almost all starring roles, including "The Help" (2011), "Zero Dark Thirty" (13), and "A Most Violent Year" (14), have received rave reviews)

Penélope Cruz Sánchez (Debuted in "Jamón Jamón" (1992) and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (2008))

Zhang Ziyi (Debuted in "The Road Home" (1999) and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005))

Julianne Moore (Received high praise for "The End of the Affair" (1999), "Far from Heaven" (2002), and "The Hours" (03), and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for "Still Alice" (14))

Uma Thurman (Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for "Pulp Fiction" (1994) and starred in many notable films such as "Gattaca" (97), "Kill Bill" (2003), and "Burnt" (15))

Helen Mirren (Won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for "Cal" (84) and Nicholas Hytner's "The Madness of King George" (94), and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for "The Queen" (2000))

Nicole Kidman (Won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for "Moulin Rouge!" (2001), the Academy Award for Best Actress for "The Hours" (02), and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for "Rabbit Hole" (10))

Charlotte Rampling (After numerous works including "The Damned" (69), "The Night Porter" (74), and "Under the Sand" (2000), received the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress and many other awards for "45 Years" (15))

Additionally, Anastasia Ignatova, a friend of Lindbergh's and a beauty who lectures on political theory at Moscow State University of International Relations, is also featured.

'How did I choose these people?' Lindbergh answered questions at the press conference. 'I first made them laugh by saying, 'These are all women I once wanted to marry.' Then he continued, 'Women are constantly under pressure to be eternally young and retain their youthful beauty. I wanted to liberate them from that curse. What is true beauty? I wanted to express that by getting infinitely close to them through photography.'

Nicole Kidman said, 'I was surprised.'

Everything Begins Anew From Here

The unveiling of the Pirelli Calendar 2017 took place in Paris across three stages. First, a small interview at the Ritz Paris hotel on Place Vendôme. Next, a large press conference in the garden of the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild near Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The event concluded with a grand gala party held at La Cité du Cinéma, a large movie studio complex on the outskirts of Paris.

'This is the third time I've worked on the Pirelli Calendar. When I was offered the job, I asked my friend Mr. Tronchetti (Pirelli Vice Chairman), 'May I express beauty in my own way?' He replied, 'Of course, I want you to.' I've been thinking for a while now that when people think of beauty, they tend to imagine what they see in advertisements and magazines, but that is consumed in an instant. I believe true beauty lies elsewhere. I wanted to express that with these actresses.'

Peter Lindbergh, born in Germany in 1944, spoke passionately at the press conference. According to the distributed press release, this was the first time Lindbergh had photographed Nicole Kidman. 'As the shoot progressed, Nicole said to me, 'No one has ever photographed me like this before. No one has ever expressed me like this. It's wonderful.' Lindbergh recalled.

In fact, Nicole Kidman appeared at the press conference along with Helen Mirren and Uma Thurman. What was amusing was that they all uniformly said, 'We were surprised.'

'Peter asked me to just walk a little,' said Helen Mirren, whose portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II still comes to mind. Her witty remarks were characteristic of the veteran British actress.

'Then he immediately said, 'Okay, that's good. We're done.' 'Done with what?' I asked. 'We got the shot,' he replied. Huh? When I first heard about the Pirelli Calendar, I thought it would involve wet-looking lips, heavy black mascara, and nudity (laughs). It was amusing.'

Uma Thurman, who seemed to have a deep friendship with Lindbergh, followed Mirren's words with a friendly and gentle gaze towards the photographer.

'But it was very difficult. Just being natural.'

Nicole Kidman nodded in agreement.

'As actresses, we naturally act, but we were confused about what he meant by 'just be yourself.' This might be a cultural turning point. I don't think Peter has arrived at this expression of beauty; rather, I believe everything begins anew from here.'

Unfortunately, the Pirelli Calendar is not for sale. Here, we present a glimpse of it.