>> Deep in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, photographer Peter Beard directed Mariacarla Boscono and Malgosia Bela to "show me fun" as they mucked through an algae-covered swamp in May.  "Does it feel nice?" he asked Malgosia, who was submerged up to her waist in the goo. "It's nice," she replied, bringing her green hands up to her face.

The finished product — the 2009 Pirelli calendar — debuted yesterday, and you can see the whole thing here (NSFW), but it didn't come without the model cast (Rianne Ten Haken, Isabeli Fontana, Kemp Muhl, Daria Werbowy, Lara Stone, and Emanuela de Paula in addition to Mariacarla and Malgosia) going out on a limb — literally: one shot features a number of them posing nude way up in a bare tree.  And they weren't always so comfortable — a big bug was placed on Isabeli's face, and though Peter directs, "Eyes open!  Eyes open!" she visibly flinches, "I can't."

Gallery is NSFW.
*image: source

>> After weeks of speculation, we got our answers.  As rumored, Izabel Goulart is no longer a Victoria's Secret Angel — there is speculation that she broke her contract to work for Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange — but she, along with the Angels and 26 other non-Angel models, taped the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Miami on Saturday.  There were a few casting surprises — no Asian models?; some disappointments — no Natasha Poly or Jessica Stam; and lots of newcomers — Arlenis Sosa Pena, Sarah Stephens, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Sessilee Lopez, Clara Alonso, Edita Vilkeviciute, Erin Heatherton, and even Lara Stone made it after all.  Broken glass catwalk aside, Maryna Linchuk had a stellar outing — many have their bets on a Angel contract for her in the future — and Doutzen Kroes cozied up to boyfriend DJ Ruckus at the after-party.  All in all, enough party to hold us over until the show airs Dec. 3.        
*image: source, source

>> As the Victoria's Secret yacht rolled into Miami and the girls had a beach photoshoot today, we got to see of the 30 non-Angel faces that will be participating in this weekend's fashion show — 19 of them, to be exact.  No sign of Lara Stone, Jessica Stam, or Natasha Poly, but after missing yesterday's event, Izabel Goulart is there.  There are plenty of new faces — Abbey Lee Kershaw and Sarah Stephens represent Australia, Arlenis Sosa Pena the Dominican Republic, Maryna Linchuk Belarus, and Erin Heatherton the US.
*image: source, source

>> Last month, seven models made the trek to a luxury elephant camp in the Okavango Delta of Botswana to shoot the 2009 Pirelli calendar.

Mariacarla Boscono, Malgosia Bela, Daria Werbowy, Lara Stone, Emanuela De Paula, and Isabeli Fontana mucked around in the mud, waded in the marsh, and climbed trees, sporting little but a square of leather here, a string of beads there, while Peter Beard documented the whole thing.

The calendar won't come out until later this year, but until then, a look at the behind-the-scenes shots and retro photographs that will be interspersed between (NSFW).
*images: source