The ultimate pin-up! Kate Upton stars in stunning calendar shoot for the first issue of CR Men's Book as editor Carine Roitfeld hails her as the 'Marilyn of today'

Kate Upton is often labeled as a modern-day Marilyn Monroe, thanks to her enviable curves, bouncy blonde locks and classically beautiful features. 

And now, the 23-year-old actress is once again channeling her inner Marilyn as she stars in a stunning calendar-style shoot for the first ever issue of former Vogue Editor Carine Roitfeld's newest project, CR Men's Book. 

'Kate has always been everything I love,' Carine, 60, explained on the CR Fashion Book website. 

Pin-up: Kate Upton stars in this calendar-style shoot for the first ever issue of CR Men's Book

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The combination of Kate Upton and Carine Roitfeld is a match made in fashion heaven!

The editor of CR Men's Book has hailed the model as the Marilyn Monroe of today, and she's definitely got that blonde bombshell thing going on here. We love her layered look of a lace-trimmed camisole and two shirts. One just wasn't enough!

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'She is the opposite of me - a Marilyn of today. For my new CR Men's Book, she represents different types of beauty and the sexual fantasies of all men.'

An article posted on the CR Men's Book website about Kate's shoot further explains why the actress and model was chosen to star in the debut publication, describing the blonde bombshell as a 'strong woman' whose looks and personality, Carine believes, will resonate with all of the magazine's readers.  

'For more than one reason, it's only fitting for supermodel Kate Upton to be cast for the first issue of our CR Men's Book,' the article reads. 

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Natural beauty: According to editor Carine Roitfeld, the 23-year-old model and actress was chosen to appear in the spread because she is 'beloved by most modern men in her own right'

History in the making: Kate starred in the first issue of the newly-relaunched CR Fashion Book in 2012

'For nostalgia's sake alone, she was the first-ever cover star of CR Fashion Book's rebirth issue in 2012. Perhaps the more obvious reason is the way men and women alike have responded to her since.

'The first issue of CR Men’s Book is centered around Carine’s archetypes of masculinity - men who have both embodied and challenged the norm by blurring the boundaries of gender, sexuality, and style in their respective times. 

'But just as important as these men were the strong women in their lives - the subjects of their intimacies, confidences, fantasies and friendships. Inspired by the idea of traditional [pin-up] calendars, she cast Kate Upton (beloved by most modern men in her own right) to play the lovers, friends and partners of these leading men - evoking a medley of iconic styles that pays homage to a group of talented women ranging from Patti Smith and Winona Ryder to Courtney Love.'

Blonde bombshell: The model is often labeled as a modern-day Marilyn Monroe because of her enviable curves and voluminous blonde locks

Red carpet queen: Kate, pictured in April 2014, has been praised by fashion critics the world over for her glamorous sense of style

It is not the first time that Kate has taken on the Marilyn persona for a shoot; in 2013, she appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's 100th issue 

On the cover, the then-21-year-old supermodel, who was named 2013's Model of the Year, donned siren red lipstick, cascading blonde curls and a gold bodysuit, holding a cake lit with a candle in one hand.

Shot by famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, the stunning image marked just how far Kate had come since appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2011, a campaign which many have claimed signaled the launch of her successful career.