You may know the drill. Every year, the good people at Pirelli (yes, the Italian tire makers) pick an exotic locale, gorgeous models, and an accomplished photographer to produce the ultimate pin-up calendar for their best clients.

It’s a shame to tag Pirelli’s annual timetable a “calendar”: Shot in a serene Pudong Shangri-La Hotel setting, the 2008 Pirelli Calendar features eleven rising models and actresses (Gemma Ward, Catherine McNeil, Maggie Cheung) all captured masterfully by fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier. “The casting was a fascinating mix between the West and the Orient: an interesting group of faces,” adds Demarchelier. He’s right.

Navigate to The Cal’s (that’s what they call it) site and you can even view exclusive content, like behind-the-scenes shots and access to the archive (check out vintage Cindy Crawford and Kate Moss in ’94).

Happy New Year, indeed.

Discover the new Pirelli Calendar.