Over in the no-man's land known as The Armory on the far east side of Manhattan,  media from around the world gathered for the official launch of the 2012 Pirelli Calendar. Photographer Mario Sorrenti and models Natasha Poly, Joan Smalls, Isabeli Fontana and actress Rinko Kikuchi were also on hand to fête the 39th edition of the portfolio.

Sorrenti is actually the first Italian to photograph the Pirelli Calendar, whose past lensmen have included Herb Ritts (1994, 1999), Richard Avedon (1995, 1997), Bruce Weber (1998, 2003), Annie Leibovitz (2000), Mario Testino (2001), Peter Lindbergh (1996, 2002), Patrick Demarchelier (2005, 2008), Mert and Marcus (2006), Inez and Vinoodh (2007), Terry Richardson (2010) and last year, Karl Lagerfeld.

For the shoot in Corsica, Sorrenti chose mostly women with whom he had previously worked, including supermodel among supermodels Kate Moss, whom the photographer has known for some 20 years -- the two worked together on the iconic Calvin Klein "Obsession" campaign when Sorrenti was just 21 and Moss was practically still in diapers. In the "Making of " short film that preceded a Q&A with Sorrenti, he remarked that he "couldn't do this without her."

Check out all 25 images from the 2012 Pirelli Calendar, featuring Saskia de Brauw, Edita Vilkeviciute, Margareth Madè, Lara Stone, Guinevere Van Seenus, Malgosia Bela, Milla Jovovich, Fontana,  Smalls,Poly and Moss.