Britney Spears and Justin Bieber are the latest stars to strip off for legendary photographer Mario Testino's towel series.

In past years, the beautiful photo series has seen a number of celebrities, from Naomi Campbell to Anna Wintour, pose in nothing but a towel for the lens.

The classy black and white photographs have become a staple item in the visual whirlwind that is Testino's Instagram feed, with the stars donning them in any way they want.

Appearing in V Magazine's next issue, Testino continues the series, with cover girl Britney owning the spotlight by channelling Marilyn Monroe in a striking over the shoulder pose and glaring directly into the camera.

Then there's Gisele Bundchen and Cara Delevingne, whose towels are tastefully arranged to show hints of skin. Male models Alex Pettyfer and Bruno Endler are the subjects who push the envelope the most, baring their abs and then some.

The series began when the 61-year-old portrait and fashion photographer noticed British model Kate Moss sat in a white robe with a towel wrapped high around her head on the set of a shoot.

"After showering, she came out of the dressing room in a robe, with a towel on her head. I thought, God, women always look amazing with towels around their heads...and how many people actually get to see Kate Moss coming out of the shower, in just a robe?" he explained on mariotestino.com.

"The interesting thing about the towel is that, even though in it you are not completely covered, it serves both as a tool for drying and as a protective barrier. In a towel, you are clothed, but naked."

Peru-born Testino enjoys having the creative freedom to position his subjects in intriguing ways.

"I decide who's in, who's not, how they're in, how I photograph them, and when I post the picture. It's an opportunity for me to be my own editor," he said.

The full photoshoot is included in V Magazine's 100th issue which is released next week (8March16).