It’s not every day a calendar cover sparks conversation, but when actress Andrea Brillantes stepped into the spotlight for a Philippine rum brand, it did just that. From teen star to confident, grown-up icon, she’s mastered the art of transformation. It’s hot, it’s chic and it’s a demonstration of how carefully curated imagery can tell a story, or sell a brand.
But behind the glitter and the glamour lies a story even more inspiring, the wholesome story of the Calendar Girls of Rylstone, North Yorkshire. Long before social media campaigns and celebrity endorsements, a group of ordinary women decided to take a bold pose of posing nude for a calendar and turn it into a global phenomenon while helping cancer institutes.
How it began
In February 1998, John Baker was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He passed away a few months later. His death left a void. Among those who wanted to make a difference was Tricia Stewart. She was a member of the Women’s Institute (WI) and a close friend of John’s wife, Angela Knowles.
Tricia remembered a playful idea she had once joked about. An alternative WI calendar. Instead of the usual hills and village greens, it would feature the women themselves. Boldly. Tastefully. Nude. The goal was to raise funds for blood cancer research.
The women behind
Eleven women, aged 45 to 65, all friends of John and Angela, embraced the project. They brought courage and photographer Terry Logan captured them in striking images.
When the calendar launched on April 12, 1999, it sold 88,000 copies in the UK alone. The reaction was immediate. Media coverage ran nationally for three weeks. The women were named Women of the Year. They presented calendars to the Queen and the Queen Mother.
International success
The Calendar Girls’ story didn’t stop at the UK border. By 2000, another 240,000 copies were sold in the United States. New editions appeared in 2004, 2005, 2007 and a 10-year anniversary edition in 2010.
By 2018, the project had raised nearly 5 million euros for Bloodwise (formerly Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research).
The Calendar Girls’ story captured imaginations worldwide. In 2003, it became a blockbuster film, “Calendar Girls,” starring Helen Mirren. A second calendar featured six of the actresses and the original WI members.
The story continued. Tim Firth and Gary Barlow, childhood friends, envisioned a musical adaptation. By 2012, they were writing songs for “The Girls.” Over 200,000 euros was raised during performances through bucket collections.
This year marks the 26th anniversary of the Calendar Girls and millions were raised for blood cancer research. Perceptions of older women were also redefined. What else can’t women do? S