Why the Testino treatment makes me fear for Kate

By Liz Jones
Created 12:23 AM on 13th December 2010

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When I first heard that William and Kate had got engaged, one of my great concerns was that this adorable young woman would now be elevated on to the pedestal once occupied by Diana - enshrined a global fashion icon, who would inevitably struggle with the pressure that obsessive devotion brings with it.
Diana was the world’s most photographed woman, and she knew better than almost anyone how to use that power of the lens to her advantage.
But ultimately that same power also made much of her life a misery and, of course, contributed to her death.

Too reminiscent: While William wants to keep his mother's memory alive, the ring and now this photo-shoot at best show a lack of imagination and at worst are just creepy

Which is why, as we watched Kate take those first formal steps into the public limelight as a royal fiancée last month, I feared that she too, might buckle if exposed to the same degree of scrutiny.
I even wrote in this paper that whatever other mistakes the Palace may make in the build-up to the royal wedding: ‘Please, no one stick her on the cover of Vogue, to be airbrushed by Mario Testino... let her find her own feet first.’
And what have they done? Had her photographed by Mario Testino.

 

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Of course, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with having photos taken to celebrate the engagement. We’re all interested, aren’t we?
And no one can doubt they make a wonderful couple, whose devotion for one another is as noticeable as it is sincere. But I can’t help feeling that this particular image is wrong on many different levels.

Firstly, I don’t believe Testino was the right man for the job. He may have been Diana’s favourite photographer, but he likes everyone to look the same way. He believes that all women have to look unnaturally perfect, like models on the cover of Vogue, so he’s lit and styled Kate in precisely that way. It’s what he did to Diana, time and time again.
Which brings me to the second problem. The whole image is self-consciously reminiscent of Diana.
I understand that William wants to keep his mother’s memory alive. But as well as giving Kate her distinctive engagement ring, now he’s had her photographed in exactly the same way. At the very least, it shows a lack of imagination. At worst, it’s downright creepy.

Not the right man for the job: Liz Jones argues that Mario Testino may have been Diana's favourite photographer, but his style means he wants all women to look the same

Why does William want Kate to emulate his mother when she was so very unhappy at the end of her life?
Her final Testino shoot was just a month before she died. Surely it’s time to move on – for Kate’s sake.
No doubt part of the reason Testino was chosen is that William feels at ease in his company.
I’ve known Mario since the 80s, when we were both starting out.
He is indeed a nice guy, very affable, and I have nothing against him personally.
But the fact remains that he was at least partly responsible for the image of Diana as a goddess that caused such mania.
He’s part of that whole fashion mafia. They’re ghastly, shallow people and I don’t want Kate falling into their jaws.
As for the photograph itself, I’m afraid I don’t agree with those who say it’s spontaneous or informal. (Anyone who has seen The September Issue – the film that went behind the scenes at U.S. Vogue – will know how crazy a Testino shoot really is).
What I’d have liked to have seen is something more natural, not by one of these superstar glossy magazine photographers. It would have been nice to have used a British photographer, too.
I don’t even think it’s that flattering. Mario has been quoted as saying that William is very photogenic – if so, then I don’t think he’s done a very good job.
Then there’s the matter of Kate’s Reiss dress. I like Reiss, it’s a good mid-priced label, but for an image that will go around the world, I think she should have been in something a little more special.
Of course, ultimately the only thing that matters is Kate and William’s relationship - and that they should be given the space to let it flourish.
But by playing up to the cult of celebrity with such a stylised fashion-conscious image, I do fear that they risk repeating the mistakes of very recent history.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1338091/Kate-Middletons-Mario-Testino-treatment-makes-fear-her.html#ixzz2gm8RVKHl
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