sports illustrated: A Fine Line

Was it only a year ago that Karl Lagerfeld's artful imagery set a new standard for the traditionally risqué Pirelli calendar? This year Pirelli returns to its provocative roots, enlisting the talents of photographer Mario Sorrenti, who is well-known for creating sensual images for Paris Vogue, V Magazine and Purple. Amongst this year's alumni are models Kate Moss, Lara Stone, Joan Smalls, Isabeli Fontana, Saskia de Brauw, Malgolsia Bela, Edita Vilkevicuite, Natasha Poly, and Guinevere Van Seenus. Actresses Rinko Kikuchi, Magareth Made and Milla Jovovich also disrobe for Sorrenti amongst the beautiful remote landscape of Murtoli in Corsica.

Of his approach for the Pirelli shoot, Sorrenti reveals to WWD, "You know, originally, I was going to do very sexy pictures, and when we got there I realised that I didn't want the pictures to be sexy at all... I didn't want them to be posing and arching and like sticking their boobs in my face or anything like that." Sorrenti, a former model himself, explains his approach to nudity in an interview with Glenn O'Brien at the Pirelli calendar press release, "I always thought about taking off clothes as a way of getting closer to the individual and the person, and of getting something that was more honest and pure."