"Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life"--Bill Cunningham
Photographer and former milliner Bill Cunningham cares about clothes, and he's still zipping around NYC on his bicycle, taking shots of women on the streets of Manhattan. He's also 80+ years old, which doesn't make him any less of a wonderful, eccentric spirit full of energy and insight into contemporary style. Richard Press's documentary, Bill Cunningham New York (2010) is an absolute gem of a film, a love letter to NYC and the vibrant creative forces that reside there. And if you like hats at all, this film is a must-see. Expert hat wearer Patrick McDonald makes numerous appearances in the film, and he even demonstrates how to change hats seamlessly. Bill's neighbor, Editta Sherman, is a 93 year old photographer and style maven, and she models some of Bill's old chapeaus. As you can see from some of his designs (above), he clearly is an inspiration to artists such as Philip Treacy.
I lived in NYC for several years, and despite living in other cities and places for longer periods of time, something about this city always feels like home. The area has changed dramatically since my heyday, twenty years ago, but there's still no place like it anywhere else on the planet. Cunningham is a fixture of NY, and guys like "The Sartorialist" clearly rip off his street photography, even though Cunningham's images are less posed, more captured. He's not impressed by celebrity or wealth, and rather shyly accepts accolades for his contributions. His belief that photographers should be "quiet, discreet, and invisible" speaks volumes about his approach to capturing everyday New Yorkers at their most fashionably expressive moments. This film is simply wonderful and highly recommended.
