Mario Testino’s Agency to Open in New York, With Help From a Vogue Veteran
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: Mario Testino is taking his London-based creative agency on the road, with plans to open an outpost of Mariotestino+ in New York.
He’s hired Brigid Walsh as global development director and she will open the New York operation. Walsh spent the past 10 years at Condé Nast, where she was executive director of communications, partnerships and special events for American Vogue, working with advertisers on collaborations.
Her remit will be to work with the company’s chief executive officer Suki Larson on developing global initiatives across multiple aspects of the business, including marketing and creative services, publishing and exhibitions, and on the group’s branded content platform Mira Mira.
She will also work with the company’s philanthropic arm MATE Museo Mario Testino, based in Peru, and on lateral brand partnerships.
Larson said the creative agency has an “ambitious future agenda,” and Walsh is a good addition to the senior global team. “She brings sophisticated and relevant experience, and immediately understood where we are heading.”
Walsh said Testino is scaling its business to encompass all aspects of content creation and distribution. “The development is unique in the creative agency space and is completely unhindered. It’s an exciting time to join this talented team and to parlay my experience to a 360-degree agency as they take their business to the next level.”
Clients include Michael Kors, Stuart Weitzman, Dove, Chanel, OPI, Carolina Herrera, Intimissimi, Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, Allure, Condé Nast Traveler and V Magazine.
One of Testino’s most recent projects is the campaign for the Unilever-owned Dove brand. Dove #RealBeauty Pledge features real women shot by the photographer and a commitment to body positivity.
“I think the idea of beauty in all humans is in our minds at the moment, from politics to culture to human rights,” Testino said when defining what beauty means to him. “I worked closely with Dove and my team in identifying women from around the world whose stories were unique, intriguing and meant something.”
The campaign includes 32 women ranging in age from 11 to 71 from more than 15 countries, including Iran, Indonesia, Germany and Brazil.
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