Wednesday, November 12, 2014

THE MACALLAN LAUNCHES MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY MARIO TESTINO EDITION

The Macallan has today announced that portrait and fashion photographer Mario Testino has become its fifth Master of Photography, and has launched a celebratory bottling; The Masters of Photography: Mario Testino Edition.

The Masters of Photography: Mario Testino Edition, is The Macallan’s most inspired to date, with the whisky bringing together six different casks to showcase the ultimate complexity. Each of these six perfect whiskies is the definitive representation of one of the Six Pillars.  They each have their own definitive character, flavour and aroma which when brought together; create the perfect single malt with unparalleled depth, darkness and diversity.

The Macallan - Masters of Photography: Mario Testino Edition

The Master Whisky Maker personally selected these six unique casks from over 200,000 maturing at The Macallan distillery to craft this limited edition expression.  He has achieved this through adding layer upon layer of character and flavour, reflecting the approach taken by the photography himself. 

Each of the 1,000 Mario Testino Editions - of which there are four different variations, each featuring one of the four iconic shots taken by Mario – are presented in a beautiful, high gloss, black lacquered presentation box, designed together with Mario Testino. Inspired by the subtle elegance and rich Asian cultural heritage of traditional lacquered boxes, each presentation box is individually numbered and features a secret hidden compartment.

Testino’s ability to transform reality into the more vivid and desirable has resulted in some of the most prolific and recognisable photographs of our time, including the iconic portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales for her Vanity Fair cover story in 1997, and intimate shots of original supermodel Kate Moss spanning several decades.

Commenting on the news, Mario Testino, said: “Whisky was the choice of drink in my country during the years I was growing up. When I was approached by The Macallan to take part in the Masters of Photography Series I decided to capture the moment when people get together to celebrate, in the atmosphere of a whisky environment – a whisky club!,”

Also commenting on the news, Ken Grier, Director of The Macallan, said: “As one of the world’s truly great whiskies, we seek to collaborate with the best photographers in the world. Not just those who have the technical ability, but something more.”

“The Macallan Masters of Photography is about the personal touch, we work with photographers with whom we have a shared passion to create beautiful collectables. Mario’s emotional engagement coupled with the level of his creative involvement, heralds an evolution of the role of the Master in the Masters of Photography series, one which has brought about an exciting visual celebration of our fundamental Six Pillars.”

“Not only is he a historically important giant in contemporary photography, his elegance, charm and gentlemanly approach to creating this ultimate party has made him both a joy and an inspiration to work with.”

Each edition comprises a different Mario Testino print capturing The Six Pillars, an exclusive photo-archival booklet featuring a total of 20 images, shot by Testino during the process, one bottle of the single malt whisky and six miniatures from each of the selected six casks.

The Macallan Masters of Photography: Mario Testino edition will be available in the UK from specialist whisky retailers for a RRP of £2215.

Source: The Big Partnership