All of Sydney. One Shoot.
Vogue Australia commissioned Mario Testino to Creative Direct and photograph their Aussie Icons special edition. The brief to Third Eye was to have Sydney properly open, not a handful of pre-approved spots but exclusive access across the city, with permits in place and the kind of private location relationships that only come from two decades of work.
Mario arrived with his own elite production team: his producer, stylists, hair and makeup artists and experienced camera assistants. They knew how to operate at this level. Garrett's job was to make sure Sydney matched them.
The Schedule Was Hectic
The edition featured many of Australia's most recognisable fashion figures, athletes and models. Each brought their own availability windows, representatives and requirements. Locations had to be genuinely iconic and exclusively accessible, not just visually interesting. Every day involved multiple talent, multiple sites and the constant presence of paparazzi following the production.
Garrett worked hand in hand with the Vogue editorial team and Mario's production team throughout. Every location was cleared, every permit was in place, and access points were managed to allow the creative work to happen without interruption. The paparazzi presence added a layer of coordination that required its own strategy.
What Third Eye Delivered
- Location scouting and clearance across Sydney
- Permit management with multiple councils
- Exclusive private property access
- Daily production coordination
- Liaison between Vogue editorial and Mario's production team
- Paparazzi management strategy
- Schedule management across multiple talent bookings
- Wrap and location reinstatement
One of the Most Challenging Jobs to Reach Australian Shores
Garrett describes this as one of the most demanding productions to come to Australia. The combination of scale, secrecy required for the talent, and the constant external pressure from media following the production made it unlike most editorial jobs. It worked because the location access was already secured before the production began, and the logistics had been run through in detail.
"We had all of Sydney permitted and open to create a slice of heaven, Aussie style. I ran this job big time and worked extremely closely with Mario and his team and the leaders at Vogue."
Garrett Robinson, Location ManagerMaking Of
Vogue Australia published a behind-the-scenes film of the special edition shoot. The scale of what was permitted and opened across Sydney is visible throughout.
