The 2018 Pirelli Calendar Features an All-Black Cast
We first got a taste of photographer Tim Walker's reimagining of the Alice in Wonderland with an all-black cast back in June, but now the photos, commissioned for Pirelli's famous annual calendar, are here. RuPaul takes on the Queen of Hearts; rising superstar Duckie Thot is Alice, Whoopi Goldberg the puffing caterpillar. It's a fantastical shoot that could only be pulled off by Walker.
The calendar also sees P. Diddy, Naomi Campbell, Slick Woods, and Adwoa Aboah. The latter is the latest cover star of the new British Vogue, as chosen by the magazine's recently-appointed Editor in Chief, Edward Enniful, who also styled the Pirelli calendar. His longtime friend Pat McGrath served as the editorial's makeup artist.
Formerly, the Pirelli calendar had a history of portraying a very specific kind of beauty—mainly, barely clothed women—but in recent years has made a tremendous effort to spotlight diversity. 2018 marks another step forward in their commitment.
On the project, Enninful told US Vogue, "To see a black Alice today means children of all races can embrace the idea of diversity from a young age and also acknowledge that beauty comes in all colors.”
While the original purpose of the Pirelli calendar, presumably to keep track of days and sell tires, has been lost, it's encouraging to see a company support artists tell and reimagine stories in ways that will surely inspire future generations.
