Bringing sexy back — Photographer Ethan James Green has teamed up with the likes of John Boyega for the 2025 Pirelli calendar

“Yeah, but I want to be in the mountains of Utah next. A bit cold. Let’s get some different temperatures in there,” John Boyega says with a grin when asked if he’d do another Pirelli calendar. The Star Wars actor is talking about his experience shooting the 2025 edition, but first, he’s got some thoughts about beauty standards. “I’ve been defined in a certain way within those standards, which is not the leading man look,” he tells HUNGER. “I always found that quite strange because I never had an issue getting beautiful women.”

It’s exactly this kind of candid energy that photographer Ethan James Green was looking for when assembling his cast for “Refresh and Reveal,” the 51st edition of the iconic calendar. Shot between May and June on Miami’s Virginia Key Beach, the project brings together a roll call of contemporary culture that reads like the guest list of fashion’s most interesting dinner party: Hunter Schafer, Vincent Cassel, Simone Ashley, Jodie Turner-Smith, HoYeon Jung, and Padma Lakshmi among others.

But this isn’t just another glossy celebration of conventional beauty. Green’s vision marks a return to the sensuality that made Pirelli’s previous editions so iconic, while completely rewriting the rules of who gets to be sensual. “It’s been around 10 years since the last calendar was sexy like that, and our idea of beauty has changed so much since then,” Green explains. The Michigan-born, New York-based photographer even puts himself in front of the camera – making him only the third photographer in the calendar’s 51-year history to do so, following Prince Gyasi’s barrier-breaking 2024 edition.

After years of moving away from its sultry roots (think Annie Leibovitz’s 2016 fully-clothed power portraits of Patti Smith and Serena Williams), Pirelli’s gone full circle – but with a twist. The photographer’s approach was collaborative rather than prescriptive — working closely with former Vogue Fashion Editor Tonne Goodman to let each subject guide the process. “It definitely becomes more challenging because there are often people between you and the subject — whether it’s a publicist or an agent,” Green admits. “I find the sooner you can be direct with the subject and straightforward, the sooner you’ll get to where you need to go.”

This philosophy resonated particularly with Padma Lakshmi, who at 54, saw the shoot as a chance to challenge perceptions about age and beauty. The author, activist and producer – named one of Time‘s 100 most influential people back in 2023 – has spent decades both in front of the camera and advocating for women’s health. “We’re all conditioned to fear ageing and think it’s all going to be over by 40 or 50. I’m here to tell you it’s not – it just gets better,” she says with characteristic frankness. “I’m at my full sexual peak, I’m at my full professional success, I’m a happy mother. I’m very content, very in command of myself.”

The stripped-back approach created an environment where authenticity could flourish. For Boyega, it was a chance to challenge the usual Hollywood narrative around bodies and transformation. Rather than waiting to be at peak physical condition, he chose to showcase what he dubs his “in-progress” physique. “There’s something quite vulnerable and powerful about showing the process of something, rather than the finished result,” he reflects. “More than anything, I want to be able to relate to people in the world. Not just give them an unrealistic standard.

Lakshmi found similar freedom in the minimalist aesthetic. “Fashion and television can contort the body, can mask and accentuate things in a way that’s manipulative,” she explains. “When you strip all of that away – maybe have a white shirt as I did on the beach, or just a veil of a chiffon nightgown – there’s nowhere to hide.”

For Green, this kind of raw honesty was exactly what he wanted to capture. “The goal is always to create something that will stand the test of time,” he says. “That’s why I love classic imagery and approach pictures the way I do — to create something that will stick around and represent the current moment, but will be relatable in the future.”

The calendar’s emphasis on diverse representation isn’t just skin-deep. “There’s such a wide range of people in this calendar — not just in terms of looks, but also in terms of age,” Boyega adds. “People at this level of success still need to have a grounded mentality because otherwise it’s just so played out and boring.” Lakshmi agrees: “What I like about Ethan’s vision is that he comes to it with fresh eyes — he’s a product of how he grew up in this generation.”

The finished product – 24 images capturing each subject in both colour and black-and-white portraits – will be revealed later this year at London’s Natural History Museum. Fitting, perhaps, for a calendar that feels more like a cultural milestone than a pin-up collection. “My body will not be used as a weapon against me,” declares Lakshmi. “It’s mine to enjoy, it’s mine to reveal or not reveal.” It’s this kind of ownership that defines Green’s vision for Pirelli’s new chapter. At 54, Lakshmi’s “full sexual peak” sits comfortably alongside Boyega’s “in-progress” physicality – proof that beauty standards, like the calendar itself, are finally evolving. Gone are the days of one-note glamour shots and airbrushed perfection. In their place? Real bodies, real stories, and as Boyega puts it, “something quite vulnerable and powerful.” Turns out sexy never really left – it just needed a refresh.