Last Thursday, 18th April 2013, saw the opening of Mario Testino’s exhibition Alta Moda, at his cultural institute in his home of Lima, Peru. Testino’s Alta Moda (2007–2012) is a series of never before seen photographic portraits of Peruvians in traditional and festive dress from Cusco, one of the highest regions of Peru. Guests at the opening included model and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova, and American Vogue’s International Editor-at-Large, Hamish Bowles.

The exhibition Alta Moda – literally “high fashion” in Spanish – is a series of photographic portraits of Peruvians wearing traditional and festive attire from the mountainous region of Cusco. It represents a bold departure for Testino from his work for fashion magazines. “I usually try to capture the moment” says Testino. “But with this series, I wanted to do something very different – not just with my own work but also with the practice of photography. I tried to fit as much time and history into each frame as possible – from the traditional and festive clothing to the Chambi backdrops to the Peruvian people in them. Alta Moda is quite different from the portraits I am perhaps best known for.”

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