Mario Testino Revealed

Peru-born Mario Testino is one of the world’s most sought-after fashion photographers. On CNN.com, in extracts from his interviews with the news network, he talks about the power of photography, his South American roots, the 1997 images he took of Diana, Princess of Wales. Here is the excerpt where he talks about his first collaboration with Madonna and Gianni Versace.

“The same thing happened to me when I photographed Madonna – she was the first one who asked to be photographed by me. She spotted my work in a magazine. She’d been booked to do Versace by (photographer Richard) Avedon and something didn’t go right and she asked Versace if she could do it with me and I was really unknown at the time out of our business. I was doing OK within the fashion business but it’s only when I photographed Madonna that I became known outside of my business and people on the street started to hear my name.”

“When I delivered the photos to Gianni Versace he said that I really understood how to photograph clothes because he said it’s a talent that few people really have -how to make a dress look the best it can possibly look. He decided to put on the first page where he introduces the whole photograph that we had done, he wrote in “Vanity Fair,” in “Vogue:” “Versace presents ‘Madonna by Testino.'” At the time I said to him, “Don’t you think it’s a bit pretentious to put my name?” He said, “Yeah, but it’s my choice. It’s me putting it, not you.” That had a big impact on my business.”

From CNN International.

Mario Testino Revealed airs on CNN International:
Saturday, February 10 at 12:30 and 6:30 PM
Sunday, February 11 at 08:30 PM, 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM
Monday, February 12 at 2:30 PM and 6:30 PM – All times GMT.