Thursday, December 2, 2010

Pirelli

All images from the Pirelli Calendar have been leaked. I feel a bit strange posting all of Freja's shots outright on this blog, so you can see the pictures here. (I think I have an irrational fear that the Pirelli police will shut me down, or someone will inevitably contact Google and "flag" this blog for "objectionable" content, ie nudity. Although in my opinion nudity is far less objectionable than violence, but that's neither here nor there.)

Anyway, the good news is Freja is on the Calendar cover! The bad news (at least to me) is Freja is on the Calendar cover wearing a codpiece. A codpiece similar to the one Baptiste is wearing here. In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "Doh!" I don't really feel like there's any point in elaborating any further on my thoughts about these images. If you've been reading the blog, you'll know what I think. If you haven't been reading this blog, then you're probably just here for the pictures anyway so it doesn't really matter what I think. And anyway, I'm more interested in hearing what you all out there think.

On the bright side, this is yet another fashion accomplishment that Freja can notch on her belt: Calendar pin up girl......sort of? (Not sure how to address it since she's a female playing a male. So Calendar pin up person?) And it is great that she can play both feminine and masculine roles because that ability opens up another 50% of job possibilities to her. More job possibilities means more work. But I just hope to god Freja doesn't dig herself so deep into one role, one stereotype, one image, that she can never get herself out. I have my fingers crossed that the upcoming Chanel and Louis Vuitton campaigns can begin to swing the pendulum back towards the other side so that we can see some kind of balance and a settling at the center. Because after this Calendar, the Vman editorial, Star Girls in Vogue UK, and Think Punk, I'm looking forward to seeing some other facets of Freja. And I'm looking forward to seeing her model some clothes for once. ;) The Freja Exposure Rate is literally off the charts now after this.

Image Credits: pirelli.com originally via tFS member testinofan, before images were deleted from tFS.
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

MAKING OF CALENDAR PIRELLI

http://video.es.msn.com/watch/video/calendario-pirelli-2011/4plnq7n8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaTzBKSQfe8

December 2, 2010 at 12:48 PM
Mme Landscape said...

There is something ridiculous about her wearing a codpiece (And I laughed reading your post). I don't really get all of this, her face is so feminine... There is a huuuge gap between her 'old' work and now, like I can't believe it's the same person. Anyway, lets cross our fingers for the LouisVuitton campaign, like you said | Great blog, xox

December 2, 2010 at 9:50 PM
Miranda said...

I honestly didn't particularly fancy the Pirelli calendar this year... I like the idea and theme behind it--mythology--but I don't feel that it's represented in the best way possible; and the shoot didn't turn out the way I had kind of hoped for. I certainly think that Freja could've been portrayed a little differently, but...

eh. that's all I've to say about this.

December 2, 2010 at 11:03 PM
Van said...

Exactly! I find that image of her wearing a codpiece very disturbing. But oh well she's versatile so...

December 3, 2010 at 3:04 AM
J said...

The picture with the codpeice is just so weird to me, i can't believe that made the calender cover :\. Of all the ways she could have been styled...

But I'm so stoked for both Chanel and LV! I had my fingers crossed for one of Marc Jacobs' brand's campaigns for her this season and LV by Miesel is just perfect.

December 3, 2010 at 8:40 AM
Robson/Jerome said...

I don't really like the codpiece, but what's striking me most is the way Freja's standing.... I know that sounds weird, but I just think it's so unattractive. I don't like the outright nudity in some of it, I find it a bit degrading to someone who's worth so much more than that.. and I think it makes her look unhealthy anyway, which I'm sure she isn't. Not keen either on the fact that her and Abbey are holding hands in one shot.... there have been enough rumours as it is, exactly who is the calendar aimed at?!
Looking forward to the Vuitton though, these pictures are so weird because I've loved her more recent work, and generally I much prefer her looking natural..... oh who knows. Each to their own!!

December 3, 2010 at 9:24 AM
Natalia said...

As a set, I'm not too bothered by the Pirelli calendar this year. In the past, I've always looked down my nose at it, seeing it as vulgar and a pretender to the worlds of fashion and art, but Karl's version is one that I find myself appreciating for reasons that Terry Richarson certainly never provided.

While there is still undeniable sexuality portrayed in the photos (as there must be for the Pirelli calendar) there is not so much that it over powers the shoot and turns it into something worthy of Penthouse. Hell, you'll find editorials in regular fashion magazines that are more sexualized than this. No, with this shoot I find myself looking at the emotions and stories being told... It's much more of an artistic piece than I've seen in the past.

In particular, I loved the profiles for Daria, Magdalena, Erin, and Heidi. Abbey and Freja's ones weren't too bad either, but those first four were the ones I loved the most. You can understand the character they are portraying, and the way they are shot, the atmosphere and emotions are almost transcendent.

Regarding the codpiece, I'm really not sure what to say. Certainly, it makes sense where Freja is portraying a male character, but at the same time I find myself wondering why Karl is also so intent on studying Freja's androgyny so fully. Keeping in mind that this is the Pirelli calendar, perhaps it is a simple matter of catering to those who buy it... A pinup girl is expected to have these large bulbous masses on her chest. Freja unfortunately doesn't, so casting her a man and putting the balls a little lower makes her body type fall more in line with what is expected of typical gender roles in this publication. Of course, I could just be reaching, and the real reason was that Karl is intent on making everyone believe that Freja and Baptiste are twin brothers. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here and say it was probably an artistic decision.

December 3, 2010 at 11:39 AM
Rrose Sélavy said...

Very interesting to read all your thoughts! :) Thanks everyone! And I'm happy that I'm not the only who feels a certain aversion to the way Freja is portrayed in these images. At first I just thought it was me being biased again, but it seems like most of you (the vocal ones at least) agree.

December 3, 2010 at 3:38 PM
Anonymous said...

if you guys dont know this already, it may be worth a watch. its jsut about this, portrayal of women and men ind advertisement/art.
http://www.freespeech.org/video/codes-gender

February 22, 2011 at 5:12 PM

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