Bill Cunningham, fashion in New York
Bill Cunningham, aged 82, is and has been a legend in the world of fashion for many years. The photographer, in charge of the fashion pages of The New York Times, has been taking candid pictures of models, celebrities or unknown fashionistas in the street. His pictures of Greta Garbo in the streets of New York allowed him to get published in the Times in 1978. Mr. Cunningham has invented, and practiced the art of “street style” that has made many bloggers famous for over 30 years!
The untypical character of Bill Cunningham, as well as his respected profile among fashion gurus all over the world have attracted the curiosity of Philip Gefter and Richard Press. The latter has directed a documentary about the photographer, to be released in the United Stated by the end of March. The film, by going deeper into the life of Mr. Cunningham, his story and habits, offers us a refreshing take on today’s fashion world.
The documentary draws an interesting portrait of the photographer, blending in interwiews from fashion authorities such as Anna Wintour, Tom Wolfe, Brooke Astor or David Rockefeller, while capturing moments of Bill Cunningham’s singular life. The love and intrigue expressed by the interviewees for the photographer contrasts indeed with the main character’s lonely and bare lifestyle, whose pictures represent the central element in his own universe. Beyond the photographies, Bill Cunningham shares throughout the film his love for fashion and clothes, and we can only have great respect for this man who, for nearly all his life, has been an authority in this world without never wanting more than fulfil his passion and express his enthusiasm for fantastic garnments with the readers of the New Your Times.
While the film will be opening soon in a limited number of cinemas across the United States, and will be presented at a festival in Australia, no release date has been fixed for any European country. Let’s hope the documentary will be presented soon in cinemas across the Netherlands!
Check out Bill Cunningham’s page, gathering his work on both “On the Street” and “Evening Hours” on the New York Times website.
On the Street, The New York Times
