The latest addition to the grand list – that includes Jessica Alba, Milla Jovovich, Eva Mendes and Salma Hayek-Pinault – to adorn the pages of Campari‘s iconic calendar is Penélope Cruz. Shot by the noted fashion photographer Kristian Schuller, the 2013 calendar has Penélope defying superstition – while looking red hot! But don’t believe me, see for yourself 😉
Crossing paths with a black cat is considered to be an omen of misfortune, and Penélope tackles this superstition wearing a luscious oxblood draped shoulder bustier gown by Zac Posen and white gold, diamond and ruby earrings by the Spanish jeweller Joyeria Molina Cuevas.
There’s no fear of the no. 13 when you’re wearing one of Azzedine Alaïa‘s exquisite dresses, baby! The long pleated dress in a goooorgeous hue of red was teamed with white gold, diamond and ruby bracelet + earrings by Joyeria Molina Cuevas.
Opening an umbrella indoors is said to bring bad luck, but not when you wear a Alaïa trench coat and Casadei pumps 😉
Broken mirror is worth seven years of bad luck, did you know that? Seen here is Penélope surrounded by broken mirrors, while dressed in a poppy pin-tuck chiffon halter gown by Zac Posen, shoes from Salvatore Ferragamo’s ‘Red Carpet Collection’, and Joyeria Molina Cuevas platinum and old-cut diamond earrings and white gold, diamond and ruby bracelet circa 1950.
Outrageously, it was thought that a woman who couldn’t sweep a floor properly wouldn’t be a good wife and would never get married! Penélope shows two fingers to that superstition in a hand-embroidered illusion dress with a silk–crêpe skirt by Marchesa, shoes from Salvatore Ferragamo’s ‘Red Carpet Collection’ and a white gold ring set with a brilliant-cut diamond by Chopard.
It was believed that evil spirits lived in the hair and that by placing your hat on the bed you would transfer the evil spirits from hair to hat and then on to the bed, thus allowing evil spirits to get you at night. Seen here is Penélope in a cocotte dress from Vivienne Westwood’s ‘Gold Label’ range, a custom-made hat from The Hat Shop, shoes from Ferragamo’s ‘Red Carpet Collection’, and white gold ring set with a brilliant-cut diamond by Chopard.
Wild birds that tried to get inside houses were believed to signify death. Seen here is Penélope in a grenadine sunburst seam one-shouldered gown by Zac Posen, shoes from Ferragamo’s ‘Red Carpet Collection’ and platinum and diamond art deco bracelet circa 1930 from Joyeria Molina Cuevas.
To spill salt was seen as an extraordinary waste as it was such a high value commodity, and the superstition, claiming bad luck will visit anyone who spills salt, was invented specifically to deter people from wasting it. Lying on salt bed is Penélope in a custom-made dress, open-toed high-heel shoes by Alaïa, white gold ring set with a brilliant-cut diamond by Chopard and Oliver Peoples ‘Corrie’ sunglasses.
There are various permutations of this superstition pertaining to stepping on a crack, the most well-known of them is the belief that the number of cracks you step on will correspond to the number of dishes you’ll break that day! Seen here is Penélope standing on a crack wearing a short red dress crafted in extremely fine crochet and embroidered with tiny pearls and beads from Emilio Pucci‘s S/S’12 collection, Ferragamo ‘Red Carpet Collection’ pumps, and Joyeria Molina Cuevas platinum and old-cut diamond earrings and platinum, gold and diamond art deco ring.
Traditionally, if a picture of someone specific and/or of significance falls off the wall, it was thought that someone you know will die soon. Penélope is shot in a room full of fallen pictures of herself while clad in crimson stretch wool ‘Samantha’ pants by Michael Kors with a custom-made shirt, open-toed high-heel shoes by Alaïa and platinum, diamond and onix art deco earrings by Joyeria Molina Cuevas.
To hang the horse shoe with the ends pointing upwards has long since been considered good luck as it acts as a storage container of sorts for any good luck that happens to be floating by. However, to hang it with the ends pointing downwards is viewed as bad luck as all the good luck will fall out. Penélope, clad in a custom-made apron, does away with this superstition by posing in room full of upside down horseshoes.
Walking under a ladder is said to bring you ill luck, as ladders leaning against a wall resemble gallows. Seen here is Penélope under a row of step ladders in a scarlet draped gown with frayed detail and shawl neckline by Monique L’huillier, Salvatore Ferragamo ‘Red Carpet Collection’ shoes, once more, and a platinum, gold and diamond art deco ring + bracelet circa 1920 by Joyeria Molina Cuevas.
SO, what do you think of Penélope’s images? Btw, that’s a red silk/chiffon gown with asymmetrical neckline and draped bodice, featuring a couture sarong skirt with attached side tails from Romona Keveza Collection, Stuart Weitzman ‘Dipille’ red satin shoes and yellow gold earrings set with rubies (44cts) and diamonds (3cts) by Chopard.
P.S. Just in case you didn’t know, the Campari calendar is one of the world’s iconic artistic calendars – but it is not for sale! Only 9,999 copies are printed to be distributed to the “friends” of the Italian apertif brand 🙂