Arguably the world’s most famous (and prolific) fashion photographer, Mario Testino, was in Dubai to open a special exhibition, HEAT, bringing together a variety of the photographer’s most prominent images. Held at D3, the exhibition will run until April 15, 2016.
The Peruvian maestro spent some time with Esquire Middle East to tell us the last…
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…person I photographed
was the Dutch model Lara Stone for a shoot for Vogue Australia. Lara has an inspiring sense of freedom and is always a joy to photograph.
…time I was star-struck
was many years ago. I am very fortunate that I often meet interesting and fascinating people, and I use that as inspiration for my pictures. If I was star-struck then I would probably be too nervous to do anything, and wouldn’t be able to do what I do!
….time I met a hero
was the late David Bowie. He was always a hero to me. I grew up listening to his music and he was such an inspiring figure. I had the opportunity to photograph him back in 2002, and although it was not that recent, the experience is one I often go back to and one I especially think of now since his recent passing.
…film I saw at the cinema
was Zoolander 2. I was at the premiere in London. A few months before, I photographed Ben Stiller in character as Derek Zoolander. Coincidentally, Derek was the 100th post in my Instagram Towel Series.
…time I left a restaurant without paying
was the last time I was invited to dinner! It was at China Tang in London.
…time I was bored
was a long time ago. I think I’m too busy to ever become truly bored. There’s always so much to do, and if there’s ever a situation where I’m verging on boredom then I’ll move on to something else that I have to do.
…place I went holiday
was Australia. I tend to travel almost constantly for work, but I made sure that at the beginning of the year I took a few weeks off to have a proper holiday in Sydney. It was just amazing.
…item of clothing
I bought was a shirt from Versace, and a Burberry suit. I have tried many different styles in my life, but I have got to the stage where I know what suits me and what I feel good in. As I’m constantly living ‘on the road’ I need to have a wardrobe that works.
…time I was at home
was just recently. My hometown of Lima is having such a great moment culturally, and it’s a really inspiring place. I have opened a museum (mate.pe) there and so I try to go back as often as possible, even if it’s just for a couple of days in between jobs.
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This article was originally published in the March 2016 issue of Esquire Middle East. To buy a copy, click here