A Thread about how calendars became the new editorials
Finally! A trend that lasts all year.
Two weeks of January down, but who’s counting? In the spirit of new beginnings and the passing of time, today I want to talk about a trend I noticed towards the end of 2023.
Cool calendars were everywhere!
I first spotted one when creative director Nellie Eden and photographer Alexandra Leese released their ‘Year of the Dragon’ calendar, featuring Japanese it-girl Kiko Mizuhara.
Then I went on a trip to Athens, where I stumbled upon a great art bookshop called Hyper Hypo. I got chatting to the shopkeeper and she told me that they were hosting an event that evening to celebrate the launch of - you guessed it - a calendar. This one was a collaboration between prop stylist Yasmina Kurunis and photographer Maria Koutroumpi. Together they created “a love letter to the city of Athens and its incredible femininities.”
Around the same time, I spotted an image from the annual Pirelli calendar on my Instagram feed, courtesy of fashion stylist Ola Ebiti, who worked on this year’s edition (nb. the Pirelli calendar is a longstanding publication, so this is more of an evergreen mention. The physical calendar is only available to select Pirelli VIPs, and the calendar has a history of hiring the finest fashion talent).
Returning home from Athens, I found a parcel on my doorstep - how could I forget? I’d ordered photographer Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek’s jumping cats calendar for my best friend.
If you’re more of a dog person, photographer Bastian Thiery also shot a year’s worth of canine cuties, with all profits going to an animal shelter in Berlin.
Then there’s Aries’ calendar, 12 months of Mia Khalifa, shot by fashion legend Juergen Teller, and styled by Threads of Conversation’s first ever podcast guest, Celestine Cooney (listen to her episode here!)
Another day, another calendar. This one was created by model and writer Nassia Matsa and features 12 gorgeous, AI-infused portraits of herself, inspired by the 12 zodiac signs.
Over in NYC, more models were teaming up to celebrate 2024, specifically Sasha Melnychuk, Ali Michael and Valter Törsleff. The scratchcard-style poster features a concealed image of Melnychuk and Michael, and comes with a charm to help you scrape away the dates.
So what’s with all the calendars? “We wanted to work on a project that wasn't a magazine or a book, and be challenged by a new medium and its creative constraints and opportunities,” Nellie Eden explains. “Each month is its own entity, but it also belongs to the larger whole. I like the idea that it’s a useful object, it's kinetic and it's personal.”
The idea for Sasha Melnychuk’s calendar was born over a bottle of wine with her best friend Valter. “We shared our mutual obsession with scratch tickets - then we thought how fun it would be to reveal a picture over time, to scratch and undress. He found out where to produce it the day after our drunken talk. It was actually produced in a factory that makes lottery tickets!”
Still, with our devices always poised to tell us the date and time, a physical calendar becomes somewhat redundant. This turns the format into an ironic statement, making it the perfect playground to try something fun.
“It’s easygoing, it doesn’t take itself too seriously,” says Bastian Thiery, the German photographer who collaborated with art gallery Wesserhalle on his dog-themed calendar. “I especially like the idea that the calendar owners can decide who their favourite dog is, and then just have their picture hang all year.”
Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek, who made the jumping cats calendar, didn’t even put numbers on his, ensuring that none of his leaping pussies were obscured by the actual dates (he later released an apology on his Instagram after a few buyers expressed confusion about receiving a calendar with no dates.)
To cast his shoot, Thiery followed the usual fashion editorial process. “We did a casting call and a proper day of casting. We then picked the 12 featured dogs out of 38 casting participants.” He even asked the Instagram account Berlinauslandermemes to help him pick the perfect pooch. Like every great fashion photographer, Thiery recognised that his models were more than just pretty face. “We photographed them at home and outside, so they could show off their full personality. Every dog is featured with two pages, one calendar page and one bio page.”
For Melynchuk, her calendar was an opportunity to celebrate her friends. “Ali Michael is also one of my best friends and my muse. I take photos of her every time we’re together - I love her. She inspires me and makes me think my crazy ideas aren’t crazy or stupid.”
Nostalgia also plays a role in the current trend. Not only does a calendar allow you to look back on the previous months, but the format also has a rich history - especially where erotica is concerned. “We're both obsessed with erotic portraiture and everything it throws up,” says Eden of the inspiration behind their Year of the Dragon calendar. “We definitely looked a lot at Pirelli calendars and traditional Asian calendars, but nothing contemporary. We wanted to challenge those visual tropes. Of course most of the calendars were lensed by men.”
For Thiery, he cites Lara Verheijdens’ nude calendars as a reference, “even though it’s such a different subject.” Melnychuk’s calendar is more obviously titillating. The design is an image of her and Ali Michael, intertwined and semi-nude, which is unveiled month by month. “I always liked the vintage playboy calendars that my dad had in his studio,” she says. “I’d just look at them as a kid and say, ‘Wow, one day I wanna be one of them.’”
The calendar format also inspires patience, slowly revealing itself over the course of a year. In an age of convenience, where food, answers, dates and more arrive at the touch of a button, an object which refuses this immediacy feels quietly radical. Still, the form is ultimately transient - no matter how beautiful, a calendar will always become a souvenir of the past.
I’m reminded of the memento mori paintings of the 17th century. These were still life works containing symbolic objects such as flowers and fruit, painted as a reminder of the ephemeral beauty of life. Like these works, a calendar is a physical art object, reminding us to appreciate the here and now. “I think in strange times we return to objects, mediums and processes that feel grounded in more collective measures of humanity,” says Nellie. “In that sense the calendar is so universal in its tracking of time on both a grand and mundane level.”
For Nassia Matsa, her concept was inspired by the 12 Zodiac signs, and their relationship to her Greek heritage. “I read somewhere that the zodiac is based on mythology, and each sign has a story behind it. For example, Virgo is related to the Goddess Artemis and therefore references the purity of morality.” Shot by photographer Yana Van Nuffel, each month sees Nassia transform into a different version of herself. The images are enhanced using AI, merging ancient history with our robotic future.
As with many things, the calendar craze proves that we are emotional creatures, not rational ones. “No one needs a calendar on a wall anymore, but they’re everywhere,” says Thiery. “It’s a sweet companion throughout the year, and the effect of switching the page when a new month starts is just fun.” Plus, he adds, “it’s also a great marketing tool.”
Whilst some of the calendars mentioned are sold out, it’s not too late to get a copy of Bastian’s dogs, Nassia’s portraits, or Sasha Melnychuk’s scratchcard. And of course, don’t forget to check out the podcast and subscribe for more Threads of Conversation.
Threads of the week
Went to Berlin to record some new episodes of the Threads of Conversation podcast! Dressed the part in my Acne Canada wool scarf (I’ve lost and replaced this multiple times over the years), Kara ‘Pinch’ bag, vintage jacket and leather pants, and Ann Demeulemeester boots.
Loose Threads
In the spirit of the calendar year ahead, a few lists this week:
Trippin’ have released their roundup of the 50 best music and culture events happening around the world in 2024. My pick is Nyege Nyege festival in Uganda.
The Guardian’s documentaries to look out for this year. Praying for that Rihanna one to finally be released.
It’s Nice That’s roundup of visual trends for 2024.
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Can't wait for new podcast episodes! ❤️🙌
appreciate the 'do you read me?' package on the pic (amazing store!). we did ship a few 'skateboarding-focus' calendars back in the day. I'm nostalgic of them; should make one for next year 🙏🥂