Conceptualized by renowned archetypal Australian photographer Emma Summerton, her latest project entitled, “Love Letters To The Muse,” was officially unveiled earlier today at the Pirelli HangarBicocca contemporary art museum in Milan. Dedicated to the inimitable model muses, the 2023 Pirelli Calendar celebrates all the women who have guided her throughout her search for personal liberation and inspiration.

“For the Calendar, I wanted to go back to the etymological root of the word ‘muse.’ The Muse originally represented the source, not just inspiring but also possessing talents in literature, science and the arts,”explains Emma Summerton, saying that she is “fascinated by women who do extraordinary, creative things, women who, starting with my mother, have inspired me throughout my life and throughout my career. People I’ve learnt a lot from: writers, photographers, poets, actresses and directors. So my idea was to celebrate these extraordinary women and create a world in which to represent them.”

The fifth person to put her name on the calendar since 1964, Summerton joins the rankings among some of the most iconic fashion contributors in history – Sarah Moon in 1972, Joyce Tenenson in 1989, Inez Van Lamsveerde (of the duo Inez and Vinoodh) in 2007, and Annie Leibovitz in 2000 and 2016. This year Summerton united with director Carlo Alberto Orecchia, to guide the video accompanying the 2023 Calendar.

Bringing together 28 shots of 14 models, “Love Letters To The Muse” identifies each model’s close affinities with the Muse they have been called upon to represent on the sets. For example, Guinevere Van Seenus’ moonlight as a photographer and Ashley Graham, the Activist in the calendar, is also widely known for supporting body positivity. Shot through a dreamy lens, “the borderline between the role that the models play and what they really are is not clearly defined, and everything blends together to create images that sing to magical realism,” shared Summerton.

Featured in the calendar are Lila Moss (The Seer), Guinevere Van Seenus – (The Photographer), Adwoa Aboah – (The Queen), Karlie Kloss – (The Tech Savant), Sasha Pivovarova – (The Painter), Lauren Wasser – (The Athlete), Emily Ratajkowski – (The Writer), Cara Delevingne – (The Performer), Bella Hadid – (The Sprite), Kaya Wilkins – (The Musician), Precious Lee – (The Storyteller), He Cong – (The Sage), Adut Akech – (The Dream Catcher), and Ashley Graham – (The Activist).