For the 45th Pirelli Calendar, shot in London last May, the British photographer applied his unmistakable style of extravagant sets and romantic motifs, to revisit one of the classic stories of British literature: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
His inspiration came not only from Lewis Carroll’s fantastic story, but most importantly from the illustrations that Carroll himself had entrusted to John Tenniel for the first edition of 1865. In Tim Walker’s 2018 Pirelli Calendar, they become 28 shots consisting of 20 different and extraordinary sets for a new unique Wonderland.
In order to convey his idea of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , Walker has portrayed a cast of 18 personalities, both established and upcoming, including musicians, actors, models, and political activists. All together they form an all-black cast, for the second time after the 1987 Pirelli Calendar in which British photographer Terence Donovan shot five beautiful black women, including a then 16-year-old Naomi Campbell and model, writer and activist Waris Dirie.
To realise his Calendar, following last year’s creation by Peter Lindbergh, Walker collaborated with two eminent artists in their own right: Shona Heath, one of Britain’s leading creative directors and set designers, and the fashion icon Edward Enninful who was the stylist behind this year’s elaborate costumes.
What goes on behind the scenes, the photo shoots, the stories and personalities of the 2018 Pirelli Calendar can be all found on the dedicated website, where visitors can explore the history of more than 50 years of The Cal through films, interviews, photographs and previously unpublished texts.
