Page 34 Daily Mail, Wednesday, August 21, 2019
S
OME prominent
figures caught up in
#MeToo scandals
have disappeared
from public view,
but royal favourite Mario
Testino is staging a come-
back, with the aid of his
famous friends.
The photographer, who captured
some of the most memorable
images of Princess Diana, was
accused of sexual assault by 18
different male models and
assistants last year.
Yesterday, however, Dame Joan
Collins shared this photograph of
her and Testino with his loyal friend
Kate Moss in the South of France.
‘Mario and Kate together again,’
the former Dynasty star wrote next
to the picture, which she shared
with her fans online.
It is the first time that Testino, 64,
has appeared in public since
the allegations, which he
strenuously denies.
His reunion with Moss comes just
a week after I revealed that Testino
had embarked on his first high-
profile project — photographing
the world’s richest artist, Damien
Hirst, who had turned his model
girlfriend, Sophie Cannell, into an
exhibit by painting her naked body
with multi-coloured polka dots.
Another sign that Testino — who
shot more than 60 covers of British
Vogue and photographed the Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge — is
being welcomed back into the
fashion fold is that he and Hirstcollaborated on the project with
top fashion director Sarajane
Hoare, who works with Conde Nast
titles Vogue and Vanity Fair.
At the time of the scandal,
Conde Nast announced that it
would ‘not be commissioning any
new work’ from Testino for the
foreseeable future.
His comeback will continue in
November when he stages an
exhibition on Japan at Hamiltons
Gallery in Mayfair.
Moss, who smiles brightly with
Testino in the snap, is well posi-
tioned to offer him comeback
advice. She successfully rebrandedherself after being caught snorting
what was claimed to be cocaine in
a West London recording studio in
2005, prompting designer labels
Burberry, Chanel and H&M to sever
contracts worth millions.
However, just 12 months after the
scandal, Moss signed 18 contracts
with brands including Rimmel,
Agent Provocateur, Calvin Klein
and Burberry. That same year, she
was also crowned ‘model of the year’
at the British Fashion Awards.
Testino’s spokesman tells me he
has been working on philanthropic
projects such as children’s play-
ground projects in his native Peru.WHERE are the louchest parties
being thown this summer? With-
out a doubt the LA home-from-
home shared by those London
socialites, the Delevingne sisters.
Here, Chloe can be seen at a
party there jokingly pretending
to examine the posterior of U.S.
actress Ashley Benson with a
stethoscope. Ashley is reported
to have married Chloe’s sister
Cara. Dressed as a doctor, Chloe
remarks: ‘Pretty sure I’m not
doing this correctly.’Take a seat for
Dr Delevingne
Moss and pals
help scandal-hit
Testino stage
his comeback