The Pirelli Company unveiled its annual image Calendar in Manhattan, New York this week.  Sprawled out in 28 pages is the story of the layered and numinous Alice in Wonderland, which features a cast of legendary black artists in their individual fields and was shot by revered British Fashion photographer Tim Walker. Esteemed actors Whoopi Goldberg, Lupita Nyong’o and Djimon Honsou portrayed the Royal Duchess, the Dormouse and the King of Hearts, respectively. Alice is depicted by South Sudanese model Duckie Thot alongside fellow Fenty Beauty Campaign model Slick Woods, as the Mad Hatter and history making South African model and lawyer Thando Hopa, who portrays the Princess of Hearts, while world famous supermodel Naomi Campbell stunned as the Royal Beheader. 

Also included in the madness was Billionaire Rap Mogul Sean “P Diddy” Combs and Lil Yachty who pushed through as the Royal Beheader and the Queen’s Guard. Not forgetting the dazzling Queen of Hearts portrayed by RuPaul. The London based 2018 calendar was styled by Edward Enninful, who is also British Vogue’s new editor and designed by Shona Heath. 

Enninful said that he hoped the calendar rethinks already existing ideas of beauty. The maverick continued: “To see a black Alice today means children of all races can embrace the idea of diversity from a very young age and also acknowledge that beauty comes in all colours. Culturally, we are living in a diverse world. Projects like this remarkable Pirelli Calendar demonstrate that there is still hope in what sometimes feels like an increasingly cynical reality”.