Fashion Insider: To what extent does the heritage of Pirelli and ‘The Cal’ influence your vision?
Solve: That’s a double question in a way. Im doing Pirelli which obviously influences my objectives. It is part of the reading list for photography. It is one of the very few companies that has consistently worked with very talented people in a very specific way and over a long period of time. All these things have made it part of the visual legacy of photography. In the same way that you have certain things that photographers tend to do over a career.It has influenced me for sure. It has influenced every photographer!
Fashion Insider: Looking at the cast list you have quite an eclectic mix of talent! what role do you play in selecting the cast for the calendar?
Solve: So I wish I could show you my original list and I think you would find that about half the names that made it through are on my original list. So I presented a list of people I would be very happy to work with and then there is a dialogue with Pirelli. I have to say there is a lot of respect for what I wanted to do from them. They have certain requirements to be fulfilled naturally.
Fashion Insider: How is your relationship with Pirelli
Solve: It is fantastic. They are a huge organisation of course but the team who works on this is someone I have developed a rapport with over the year. I related very well to this division of their organisation and they are fantastic.
Fashion Insider: How did you come to their attention?
Solve: I have no idea you will have to ask them! I have been photographing for quite a few years and I can only guess is all I can say.
Fashion Insider: I see you have some major stars, a tennis legend, a supermodel a leading actress! Do you have to approach these people differently to a fashion model?
Solve: Yes you have to explain to them what you want to do and whether they are onboard. These are not the sort of people who turn up and just say what are we doing today. If you cast a model then that’s a job and they come in and you work with them which is a different routine. When you work with people with this stature and standing they don’t want to do it unless they are really onboard and really into the idea, so you have to talk to them before, explain what you want to do and then make small adjustments. You end up on the day of the shoot knowing what you want to do and then you arrive on the day surprised what is happening. You prepare, you prepare, you prepare and then you wait for an accident to happen.
Fashion Insider: We own a Pirelli Calendar. We have the Norman Parkinson one from 1985 hanging somewhere in the office.
Solve: (chuckling) that is brilliant!
Can you give me three of your favourite ones perhaps from different eras?
I think the Annie Leibovitz abstract body parts calendar is great.
I love some of the early ones. The 1969 is fantastic, shot by Harri Peccinotti
I also think the Mario Sorrenti one in Corsica is really beautiful ( 2021)
Im very bad with lists! I would probably give you a different list tomorrow.
Fashion Insider: In terms of your team during the shoot do you have any insider tips for those who might be trying to do a shoot?
Solve: Work with people you know and trust always.
Fashion Insider: You started your career assisting Nick Knight. Can you talk a little about what you took away from your relationship with him and how he influenced you?
A certain irreverence and discipline are two of the most important. When I say irreverence, I class him as someone who does not follow the herd and discipline in terms of bringing that to your own work.
Fashion Insider: Would you say working with a photographer such as Nick Knight opens doors?
Solve: I don’t think there is anything automatic in anyone’s career. I am Norwegian so sorry if I’m not finding the words to quite describe this. If you look at people’s career there is no logical path from one part to the next. Nothing is assumed.
If you were to ask someone at the start of their career ten things they would like to do then doing this calendar would certainly be one of them. Particularly for my generation of photographers. I said to one friend It is almost like winning a prize and then feeling that you don’t deserve it afterwards. The assumption is that you should have done something like this at some point in your career but I think that is presumptuous.
Fashion Insider: Our top Scandi artist is A-ha! How much does being Norwegian influence your work and do you have a favourite Norwegian artist?
Solve: There is a reductionist quality to it which I think is quite important. Trying to take something away that is not essential. I think that is a very Scandinavian approach to many things. Good and bad. The idea that you don’t need anything fancy because you are happy the way you are which is very healthy and earthy but can also be a little bit boring. At its best it is productive and it concentrates on what is essential. That is reflected in the calendar in the way that we took nature and we distilled and concentrated on the elements rather than huge scenic things.
In answer to the second part of the question for me its Edvard Munch. It would be impossible not to mention him.
Fashion Insider: You work a lot with Italian Vogue do you have a particular country of preference for Fashion?
Solve: It would have to be France I guess.
No that is not true. I think it is best when you mix it up. I think English designers are the best when they are in France. I think when England and France combines it is at its very best!
Fashion Insider: Pirelli is an Italian brand. What do you admire most about Italy?
I love the way things are made in Italy. The incredible passion for making things such as clothes, cars and food. In Italy look at the way they make things. There is so much attention to detail. So much pride.
Fashion Insider: What is your INSIDER tip for an aspiring photographer to employ in their lives?
Sove: I have a very hard tip but its also very simple: Try not to do what everyone else is doing!
- Talent included in the 2026 Pirelli Calendar:
o Tilda Swinton
o Gwendoline Christie
o Irina Shayk
o FKA Twigs
o Venus Williams
o Eva Herzigová
o Susie Cave
o Adria Arjona
o Du Juan
o Luisa Ranieri
o Isabella Rossellini
Quote from Solve: “for the 2026 Calendar, I want to capture emotions, instincts and states of mind that’s central to human life so: longing for freedom, curiosity, thirst of knowledge, I guess you can call it. Some kind of mystery, imagination, passions, the desire for emancipation, the connection with nature and our relationship with time and space. It’s a way of connecting us to something that we come from. Very big issues, but you know, let’s try to be ambitious”