The discreet return of Mario Testino: "At my age, I don't think my perception of fashion is correct or what the world needs"

Until five years ago, Mario Testino (Lima, Peru, 68 years old) was one of the most sought-after and sought-after fashion photographers in the world.

He was also a favorite of Anna Wintour, the all-powerful editor of

, for whom he even took her passport photo.

Celebrities and royalty wanted to be photographed by him: from Madonna to Princess Diana of Wales, Rania of Jordan, Beyoncé and Angelina Jolie.

Everything changed on January 13, 2018, when

published a report in which 13 male models and former assistants accused him of inappropriate conduct and alleged sexual harassment.

The photographer denied the accusations through his lawyers.

The case did not reach the courts (the complainants did not initiate legal action against him, nor he against them), but there was a public condemnation.

Condé Nast, the publishing empire that publishes headlines like

and

, stopped working with him, as did fashion houses like Burberry, Michael Kors and Stuart Weitzman.

Yet Testino remains one of the leading portrait painters of the rich and famous.

In the summer of 2019, he photographed Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco, on her wedding day;

and British artist Damien Hirst painting his signature circles on the body of his girlfriend, model Sophie Amber Cannell.

In November of that year he also published a portrait commissioned by the

Kim Kardashian together with her daughter North of her;

e he opened an exhibition at the Hamiltons gallery in London, surrounded by models Kate Moss and David Gandy and the musician Nick Rhodes, among others.

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Sex and fashion, a dangerous mix

Mario Testino's Instagram account has almost six million followers, including Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Mick Jagger, Sharon Stone, Demi Moore and Penélope Cruz.

His posts receive thousands of

.

A few weeks ago, he communicated through this social network the launch of a new book.

The ad racked up over 50,000

.

The book, titled

(Taschen Publishing), compiles some of the wedding photos he took for his friends over the past four decades.

Some of the most iconic brides of recent times appear on these pages: the

Kate Moss and Claudia Schiffer, the actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Salma Hayek, the designer Margherita Missoni, Carlota Casiraghi, Tatiana Santo Domingo or the

Giovanna Battaglia

is proof that Testino is still revered by the

“All the images in this book were made in collaboration with the brides, they were in many cases my wedding gift to them.

They were not photos taken to be published, so it is natural that permissions are requested when working on a publication.

The good thing is that almost everyone was more than happy to participate," the photographer explained to EL PAÍS.

The interview takes place via email and with one condition: not to ask him about the accusations against him.

Mario Testino and Kate Moss, at the wedding of the British supermodel, held in Gloucestershire, England, in 2011.Mario Testino (Copyright Mario Testino)

I Love You

came about almost by accident.

In 2018, after losing his contracts in the publishing industry, the photographer began ordering his extensive archive.

Reviewing the vast amount of material accumulated over the past 40 years, he realized that he had intimately documented the weddings of many friends.

"Seeing the photos I thought this was a good time to share positive emotions, give a little love to the world," he says.

He is now promoting the book in Europe, where some of his previous titles are out of print and considered hot items.

He has already signed copies of

in the stores of the German publisher in London and Milan.

Last Thursday he did it in Madrid, accompanied by friends like the Sevillian ex-model Naty Abascal.

Some 200 people queued for an hour on Calle Barquillo to meet him and get an autograph.

Later, a small private party was given in his honor.

The fact that characters like Salma Hayek or Kate Moss have agreed to participate in the book can be interpreted as an endorsement by the fashion

of the photographer after accusations of harassment.

Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera signs one of the introductory texts of

.

“In general, I think friendships are made outside of work, and fashion is a deeply competitive business,” Testino acknowledges.

“I met wonderful people who continue in my life to this day, and also people full of talent with whom we don't share more than a moment.

I would say that the fashion is a bit like safety instructions on airplanes: 'First secure your oxygen mask and only when it's OK do you help others,' he continues.

“Life is not made only of roses, it has everything.

But I am lucky to have wonderful friends who have always been by my side.

Kate Moss is one of his unconditional supporters.

She “She is a very special person.

Intelligent, sophisticated, with a great sense of humor, charisma, kindness and exquisite taste,” he says.

The actress Salma Hayek, photographed by Mario Testino on the day of her wedding to the French magnate François-Henri Pinault.

The ceremony was held at the La Fenice opera house in Venice in April 2009. The image is part of 'I Love You', Testino's new book published by Taschen.Mario Testino

For the last four years, he has also been involved in a project called

, in which he is documenting traditions around the world, with an emphasis on crafts and traditional costumes.

He has traveled to Ethiopia, Mongolia, Myanmar and other exotic destinations.

“The production has been challenging in the sense that you can work for 40 years with models who know what it takes to take a photo, and suddenly you find yourself directing people who never imagined being photographed like this,” he explains.

He says that

has an anthropological point.

The genesis was

, a photographic series that began 12 years ago and documents the diversity and complexity of the design of the Peruvian Andes.

Those photos were exhibited at MATE, the museum founded by Testino in Lima in 2012, and at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in New York, with Queen Sofia herself invited to the inauguration.

“I decided that I wanted to do the same for more places and communities.

In the midst of a globalization that sometimes seeks to standardize, it is difficult to appreciate those identity traits that define us”.

He assures that he keeps very good memories of his 40-year career, although he does not seem to miss his past life.

"Now I work for myself," he says.

“At 68 years old it is very difficult to live at the pace that I lived before.

I no longer see myself on a plane every three days or working every day of the year.

Now I give myself my time, I enjoy the breaks ”, he affirms.

Neither does he aspire to return to work for the magazines that brought him fame and fortune.

“I lived in the world of fashion in a wonderful time and I am grateful.

The nineties were the most extraordinary for me.

I also know fashion and I know that it is based on change.

At my age, I don't think my perception of fashion is the one the world needs, nor the correct one.

It needs young creators ”, he acknowledges.

Another of the images from 'I Love You', Testino's new book published by Taschen, shows Margherita Missoni, heiress to the Missoni dynasty, on her wedding day to the pilot Eugenio Amos, near Varese, in Lombardy, in 2012. Mario Testino

Much of his work is made up of images that exalt beauty and sensuality.

His aesthetic codes do not seem to fit in these times, in which the textile and design industry revolves around inclusiveness and normality.

However, he claims to be an advocate of diversity.

“It is essential for every industry, creative or not.

The multiplicity of perceptions will always give us better results.

When I arrived in Europe I came across people who were not open to working fashion with a Peruvian.

Fashion is a very different place from when I started, it is opening up more”, he reflects.

However, he does not rule out that the business returns to its old habits.

“It's like a pendulum in its constant search for difference.

In the eighties, Helmut Newton was the photographer we all looked to, but when

In the 1990s, people no longer wanted such luxurious or sensual images.

A few years later there was a great return to this language and many people began to be inspired by it.

This is how it happens in fashion, ”he points out.

In October, Mario Testino turned 68 years old.

He has no plans to retire.

“I think that retiring from a job that you do without special emotion is essential, but for someone who loves what he does it doesn't make much sense,” he says.

If he could change one thing about his life and career, what would it be?

Would you do something differently?

"No," he replies.

"I have tried to do my best, to be the best version of myself."

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