Many influential people in the fashion industry have been lionized over the years.
Diana Vreeland, Coco Chanel, Richard Avedon, Anna Wintour, and Ralph Lauren have been canonized for their contribution to the garment business.
A new documentary about fashion photographer Bill Cunningham shows why his name belongs in the same category as these thread hound luminaries.
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Cunningham was a successful milliner when he was drafted in the Army in the 1950’s. He outraged his business partner by quitting his job and answering his country’s call to head overseas.
Once there, Cunningham fell under the spell of the elegance and sophistication of Paris.
When he returned home, he decided to pursue his artistic interests and began a career at Women’s Wear Daily. When the publication violated Cunningham’s professional and ethical standards, he ended his relationship with the venerable magazine.
Next, Cunningham found creative satisfaction (and a lifelong friendship) with the founder of Details magazine, Annie Flanders.
Flanders explains how Cunningham made a gleeful show of ripping up his first two paychecks in front of her face.
“If you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do” Cunningham proudly proclaims in the film.
While the photographer dismisses money as the most dreadful thing ever, he is also a realist.
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Cunningham has been collecting a paycheck from the New York Times for over thirty years.
Chronicling New York City’s society functions is a job that he takes very seriously. He firmly believes that the real importance of these events is the millions of dollars that is raised for charity each year.
However, it is his other job at the newspaper that clearly puts joy and passion in his life. (At 82, the lens man has twice the energy and curiosity of men half his age).
In one of the most popular and enduring sections of the Times is Cunningham’s "On The Street" segment which highlights the fashion trends of regular people.
The photog is unabashed above his love for his work. It is in fact his whole life.
Cunningham lives like a monk in a studio space at Carnegie Hall (yes that Carnegie Hall). Surrounded by a bed and stacks of file cabinets that contain every picture that he has ever taken, he has no kitchen and must use a shared bathroom in the hallway. It is an arrangement that he loves (but is ending soon).
When he is not working, Cunningham talks shop with his artist neighbors at Carnegie Studios, attends an occasional concert, and is a devout Christian who never misses weekly worship services.
However, everything comes back to his work. It is not farfetched to say that his career is literally the love of his life. (Jaded sophisticates who think they have heard every sexual revelation out there will be shocked at Cunningham’s confession at the end of the film.)
Bill Cunningham is what every garment aspires to be – distinctive, timeless, and utterly unforgettable.
(The writer acknowledges that while she is still in love with Barry Weiss, she now has a serious crush on Mr. Cunningham.)
Teresa Wentz - Teresa Wentz holds a Master of Media Arts degree from the University of South Carolina. She has worked in various fields in the film ...
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