Amy Schumer and Serena Williams Pose Topless in the 2016 Pirelli Calendar, Shot by Annie Leibovitz

Yao Chen
Photo: Annie Leibovitz

Now this is a Pirelli Calendar we'd be proud to hang on our wall. Veering away from the scantily clad models of years past, the Italian tire brand, which has been putting out the iconic calendar for 43 years, tapped famed photographer Annie Leibovitz to shoot thirteen inspiring women for the brand's 2016 edition.

Featuring a diverse group of ladies including Amy Schumer, Serena Williams, and Patti Smith, the subjects were chosen for professional accomplishments and achievements across a broad range of fields. However, the women celebrated in the calendar aren't the only marked difference. With the exception of Schumer and Williams, who both stripped down to their skivvies, the subjects are photographed with their clothes on.

"I started to think about the roles that women play, women who have achieved something. I wanted to make a classic set of portraits," Leibovitz said in a statement when we got our first sneak peek at the calendar in September. "I thought that the women should look strong but natural and I decided to keep it a very simple exercise of shooting in the studio. This calendar is so completely different. It is a departure. The idea was not to have any pretense in these pictures and be very straightforward."

The photos show the women exactly as they are—something that Schumer spoke about in a video on Pirelli's website. "I felt I looked more beautiful than I've ever felt in my life, and I felt like it looked like me." That it does. Like the photo of Schummer (top), all the rest of the participants, which include Fran Lebowitz, Yoko Ono, Tavi Gevinson, Ava DuVernay, Yao Chen, Mellody Hobson, Shirin Neshat, Agnes Gund, Kathleen Kennedy, and Natalia Vodianova, were shot against a simple white backdrop, and we have to say each woman looks gorgeous. Check out a few of the gorgeous images below.

01 of 03

Serena Williams

Serena Williams
Annie Leibovitz
02 of 03

Patti Smith

Patti Smith
Annie Leibovitz
03 of 03

Yao Chen

Yao Chen
Annie Leibovitz
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