To be invited into the world of the Pirelli Calendar is to be cemented in the cultural lexicon. It is, as Gwendoline Christie tells us, “legendary.” But for its 2026 edition, 52nd overall, shot by the visionary photographer Sølve Sundsbø, the calendar transcends its own legend, moving into the abstract and the elemental.
This version of the Cal explores the link between humans and nature. Its protagonists are symbolic representations of natural elements like earth, air, fire and water, as well as intangible forces such as energy, light and ether.
And who better to embody the fifth element, the all-connecting ether, than Christie, an actress who has built a career on defying convention and radiating a power all her own?
Schön! sat down with the icon to discuss her role in the artistic institution, the “magical” day she’ll never forget, and what exactly Principal Weems would think of her new gig.
For Christie, the project was a reunion, not an audition (after all, she doesn’t need to). Her involvement began with a personal call from Sundsbø, a photographer she has long admired and with whom she shares a deep, collaborative history.
“It’s always extremely collaborative. It’s always very relaxed, extremely respectful and you feel as though you’re engaged in a creative conversation,” she says. “Sølve contacted me and said that there was a project and I was absolutely over the moon about it. I felt extremely honoured because I knew that Sølve would bring his inimitable artistry to it.”
Sundsbø’s concept for Christie was ether, an element she was tasked with translating into a single, powerful image. She embraced the challenge by looking inward, connecting it to a philosophy of unity.
“The way that Sølve described it to me is that it’s the element that holds everything together,” Christie explains. “And increasingly, I feel invested in the idea that we are one. We are a unified field. And so, there is a great sense of balance and harmony that goes with that.”
On set, Sundsbø’s greatest talent is his ability to create an atmosphere of total comfort, allowing his subjects to delve inside themselves. For Christie, that meant finding a new kind of expression. “This felt, to me, it was about radiance,” she says. “It was a matter of an inner warmth and projecting a radiance and sensuality that felt that somehow it may give rise to a sort of almost energetic current.”
Of course, a little music helps. The calendar’s muses – a power-packed roster including Tilda Swinton, Isabella Rossellini and Venus Williams among others – each brought their own quirks. While fellow model Eva Herzigová famously kept the vibe cool by requesting Snoop Dogg, Gwendoline’s elemental transformation had a decidedly more ‘ethereal’ soundtrack.
“We were playing Cocteau Twins quite a lot. Fullback catalogue,” she says. “And so that gave me the sort of necessary, delicate charge to channel into the images.”
The day was a who’s who of industry legends, with makeup by the iconic Val Garland and hair by Sid Hayes, a collaborator of Christie’s for 13 years. “You’re working with these legendary people,” she gushes. “They give you so much energy. I was made to feel beautiful and loved.”
The styling was also a deeply personal affair, curated by her long-term collaborator, Jerry Stafford. She was quite literally draped in the work of her loved ones. “In the behind-the-scenes images, we see me wearing a beautiful sheer drape dress by my partner, Giles Deacon,” she explains, also noting elements by Steve O Smith. “So I had my friends with me.”
But the true magic of the day arrived in human form. The shoot was scheduled so that Christie would overlap with another of the calendar’s icons, marking a first for the actress.
“That is the first time I have met Tilda Swinton. I have been a great admirer of Tilda’s. She’s been a huge inspiration to me for a long time,” Christie says, her voice full of warmth. “Meeting her surpassed all of my expectations. She was even more exquisitely beautiful and gracious, intelligent and funny than I could possibly have expected. She extended a very warm hand of friendship to me, and I’ll always be very grateful. It made it an even more magical day.”
It’s this spirit of connection and shared respect that defines the modern Pirelli Calendar. It has evolved past its pin-up origins to become a platform for artistic expression and a celebration of inclusive, powerful womanhood.
“I love that Pirelli is a reflection of our times, and so we see a more inclusive range of women being involved,” Christie says. “It’s had some really extraordinary incarnations. I love that it evolves with the times, and I love that we’re seeing a freedom of artistic expression.”
As our time comes to a close, we have to ask one last, fun question: What would her most famous, formidable character – ‘Wednesday’s’ Principal Larissa Weems – think of this sensual, ethereal portrait?
Christie doesn’t miss a beat. “I think that Larissa Weems,” she says with a perfect, glazed wit, “will be buying a Pirelli calendar for every single person in her address book.”
photography. courtesy of Sølve Sundsbø
words. Gennaro Costanzo
