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LONDON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Amy Schumer and Serena Williams recently posed nearly nude for the 2016 Pirelli calendar. The 34-year-old comedian and actress and 34-year-old tennis pro stripped down for the annual publication, which typically features models, such as Heidi Klum and Gisele Bundchen. The new edition focuses instead on a variety of women in different professions.
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"Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman. Thank you @annieleibovitz," Schumer captioned her portrait on Twitter.
Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, who shot the 2000 calendar, returned for the 2016 publication. Leibovitz discussed her vision for the photos in a press release, saying she took a simple concept in a "completely different" direction.
"When Pirelli approached me, they said they wanted to make a departure from the past," she revealed. "They suggested the idea of photographing distinguished women. After we agreed on that, the goal was to be very straightforward. I wanted the pictures to show the women exactly as they are, with no pretense."
"I'm a great admirer of comediennes," she added. "The Amy Schumer portrait added some fun. It's as if she didn't get the memo saying that she could keep her clothes on."
Artist Yoko Ono, singer Patti Smith, writer Fran Lebowitz, actress Yao Chen, model Natalia Vodianova, producer Kathleen Kennedy, art collector Agnes Gund, businesswoman Mellody Hobson, director Ava DuVernay, blogger Tavi Gevinson and artist Shirin Neshat also posed for the new edition.
Several of the women, including Lebowitz and Hobson, told the New York Times they were surprised to be approached for the calendar. Previous years focused solely on the subjects' beauty, and some consider the 2016 edition to be a political statement and cultural shift.
"I feel it helps put a new perspective on women of achievement," Hobson said. "You have to give them credit for being bold at this moment. We have a long way to go, but this is part of that journey."
