As I took this photo of Mario Testino, he was leaving the Balenciaga show. As he passed me in the crowd Mario shouted out,” I’m working class!” Now I am not sure what Mario meant by this comment, but it certainly made for an amusing moment and one that aloud me to capture Mario in a way befitting his own naturalistic style. Perhaps the Peruvian photographer was referring to the fact that he came from a family of 11 children, or when he came to London in 1976 he lived  in an old abandoned hospital… So when the front row collapsed at the Balenciaga show and everyone had to stand up to watch the catwalk-due to fears over health and safety- Mario must have felt completely comfortable with being reduced to the status of  standing ‘room only’, something usually reserved for mere mortals, like myself. Whatever the reason for Mario’s comment, one thing is for sure, he is one of the undisputed true greats of fashion photography.