He counts among the world’s most famous and sought-after fashion photographers. His esthetics have left a strong mark on how fashion is depicted – and he played a major part in furthering the careers of icons in their own right like Kate Moss or Gisele Bündchen. With his characteristic keen eye for beauty and glamour Peru-born photographer Mario Testino, who moved to London in his early 20s, captures and creates perfect, self-contained worlds of sparkling extravagance and indulgent escapism beyond the realm of mere reality.

With this acumen and approach, it came naturally to him to create a veritable vision and homage to luxury and desire for the brand new Mercedes-Benz Fashion Key Visual Spring/Summer 2013 where the world’s treasures, wrapped and guarded are preserved in a storage facility. But what would such a story be without an equally striking hero(ine)? Current catwalk favourite Joan Smalls proved perfect for this particular role: As an intergalactic beauty she infiltrates the secret storage facility to take the object of her desire with her into the future – that is the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake.

Consuption, combined: 9,8-5,3l/100 km; CO2 emissions, combined: 229-139 g/km*

Here, everything is about superlatives. And this should come as no surprise considering the involvement and direction of a man who single-handedly redefined the dimensions of fashion photography and gathered only the best from each discipline to realise his elaborate production. Among the pros on set: Charlotte Tilbury, who developed the dramatic make-up look and already worked with stars like January Jones, Gwen Stefani or Christina Ricci, hair stylist Julien d’Ys and set designer Jack Flanagan. The result: a world of pure perfection, infused with Testino’s trademark glam.

Take a look at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Key Visual Spring/Summer 2013 and the fashion film above.