Karl Lagerfeld – born in Hamburg in 1938 and famous as a fashion designer, photographer, perfume creator and most recently also filmmaker – photographed the Pirelli calendar.

Lagerfeld said in an interview about Pirelli’s assignment, “only good acquaintances for the recordings, because I wanted people who do not feel in any way with me.” Because of course, nude photos should arise, but without disreputable note.

Lagerfeld: “What I like about the mythical figures is that they do not need fishnet stockings and lace to stimulate the viewer.”

Gallery

The 36 photographs of the 2011 Pirelli Calendar feature 24 deities, heroes and myths. Lagerfeld’s camera lens shows photos designed in the style of a sculptor. This impression is conveyed both by the aesthetic rigor of the photographs and by numerous allusions to the art of sculpture and its classic standards.

Karl Lagerfeld photographed black and white. This gives the pictures character. The strong contrast emphasizes the beauty of the body, the skillful use of light gives the figures spatiality.