I have always loved Mario Testino’s work. His photography is charged with a youthful energy, vigor, beauty, and sex appeal. It is an ode to life and whenever I look at one of his works it instantly makes me feel energized!

The Gstaad exhibition at PLC is the fifth Testino exhibition that I had the pleasure in helping to organize. Out of Fashion at Phillips de Pury in New York in 2006 was the first followed by Obsessed by You in 2008 and Kate Who? in 2010 both at Phillips de Pury London. Heat, which was Testino’s first solo Middle East show, took place at de Pury in the Dubai Design District (d3). 

Mario Testino’s work has never ceased to evolve. When he showed me his most recent work I was absolutely flabbergasted. It is the result of his incessant travels around the globe together with Jan Olesen, his partner of many years. A killer selection of it was shown in 2024 at the Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome as part of a triumphant exhibition A Beautiful World. The quality of that show consolidated once for all Mario’s position in the pantheon of one of the ultimate giants of photography. Subsequently Mario showed me the work that he did most recently in my country of birth Switzerland. I felt it was essential for this work to be shown locally. I called up Patricia Low who instantly created a slot in her busy exhibition program and allowed this Swiss première in Gstaad. I am immensely grateful to Mario Testino, Jan Olesen and their amazing team, to Patricia Low and her fantastic team and to Rukiah Zakaria who is my own phenomenal team!

Simon de Pury