PICS + VIDEO: Pirelli sheds its racy image, goes low-key for 2020 calendar

London - It has distanced itself from the scantily-clad models of the past. But now the Pirelli calendar seems to have banned any trace of joy.

For the 2020 edition features leading actresses in moody, Shakespeare-themed poses. Emma Watson and Kristen Stewart are among the stars giving edgy, unsmiling interpretations of Romeo’s doomed lover Juliet.

The dramatic departure from the glamour shots of the 80s and 90s is a clear signal that Pirelli is determined to shed its racy image once and for all, following a string of similarly progressive calendars in recent years. 

Watson, 29, seems almost nun-like in a white corseted dress, matching gloves and a dramatic wimple, while Stewart, 29, exudes a goth-like intensity. "It’s lovely to have the narrative behind the still image. I think that makes it a richer image," said Watson.

The 'Looking For Juliet' calendar was shot in Verona and Paris by photographer Paolo Roversi.

Gone are the skimpy bikinis, provocative posing and nudity - Kate Moss, Amy Schumer and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley have all stripped off for previous Pirelli shoots - and in their place are women posing in denim jackets and ripped jeans. 

'The Crown''s Claire Foy even dons a grey knitted cardigan in one of the behind-the-scenes shots. 

Pirelli began publishing a calendar in 1964 but it was discontinued ten years later. It was resurrected in the early 1980s and became famed for its scantily-clad and semi-nude models, who included Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford. 

In the past decade the tyre firm has moved away from pin-up girls and included more arty images instead.

After 10 years out of print due to financial constraints, Pirelli returned with a bang in 1984 - sultrier and sexier than every before. 

The Italian tyre company first signaled it was changing direction with its 2017 calendars, announcing it was "ripping up the rule book" and giving the hotly-anticipated calendar a new feminist overhaul. 

Daily Mail