Ryzenberg On: The Man With the Camera, the Bicycle & Blue Jacket
Chances are, that if you’ve walked by 57th Street and 5th Avenue on your way to the Apple store, Central Park or one of my personal Meccas Bergdorf Goodman, there was a man wearing a blue jacket snapping photos of the most peculiar and outlandish outfits walking by.
For more than 40 years, street photographer Bill Cunningham has dominated that corner, more than any hot dog vendor, Mr. Softy truck or fashionista hailing a cab. This octogenarian immortalized the concept of street style long before The Sartorialist and any other fabulous photogs out there trying to capture the latest trends, most fabulous footwear and arm candy.
Film producer Philip Gefter and director Richard Press brought to the big screen a documentary called Bill Cunningham New York. The 90-minute film, which took 10 years to make and an enormous amount of convincing considering Cunningham is notoriously private, showcases how this man made street photography his life. But it was not the photos he cared about, but rather the style.
Cunningham began his love affair with fashion at an early age. In the late 1940s, he designed hats until he was drafted to fight in the Korean War. Upon his return, he covered fashion for various publications and in the 1960s began chronicling unique styles all around New York City. The subject — everyday guys and dolls and how they wore clothes.
In the late 1970s after a series of street photos of Greta Garbo, he became a regular on the New York Times. His columns, “Evening Hours,” which showcases philanthropic and charities events in NYC’s elite circles and “On the Street,” which identifies fashion trends as he spots them appear every Sunday in the Style section.
Cunningham played a pivotal role in the creation of the original Details magazine founded by Annie Flanders in 1982. The publication was later sold to Conde Nast in 1988, and Cunningham never cashed his check. Throughout the 1980s he also worked for WWD, but had a falling out after several issues he felt were unethical.
Throughout his years behind the lens, he mingled with some of fashion and high society’s most iconic and eccentric personalities. He developed a special bond with Lady Brooke Astor (even photographing her 100th birthday bash in 2002) Iris Apfel, Tom Wolfe and of course, everyone’s favorite Vogue Editrix-in-Chief Anna Wintour. – (And that’s just to name a few)
During the documentary, Wintour candidly even said, “Everyday we all get dressed for Bill.”
For the always perfectionist Cunningham, it was not about the celebrity status or lavish lifestyle (in my opinion, he is the antithesis of any Kardashian) but rather how fashion was worn, styled and interpreted by individualism. He even said, “I am not interested in celebrities with their free dresses, I am interested in clothes.”
It is rare to see someone show such a passion for something. Most people that live and breathe fashion want a piece of it, live for the allure and anxiously try to be photographed to make the magazines, blogs and newspapers. But for Cunningham, it went beyond that and even in an era of shwag, excesses and even hierarchies, he always possessed an aura of egalitarianism.
I am most amazed by the simple lifestyle he leads. He called home a small studio atop Carnegie Hall where many artists and photographers lived. It was filled with cabinets, books, few clothes and a cot. The communal bathroom was down the hall. (The tenants were later evicted after a dispute with the landlords and he moved to an apartment close by overlooking Central Park)
He doesn’t care about food at all, often eats deli sandwiches and goes to the nearby Laundromat. Aside from his camera, Cunningham has another special companion during this work hours: his bicycle. Rain or shine, no matter if he is going to the New York Times to edit his pages, covering an important gala for the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center, or heading to a party downtown at the Meatpacking District, the bike is always there. — (although he’s been the victim of bicycle theft 28 times!)
His legacy is also felt across the pond. In 2008, he was awarded the title Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture – which is one of the most prestigious artistic honors in France. He was so humbled when he gave his speech, and even teared up for a bit.
Cunningham is always very private, but that’s because he devotes his life to his craft. He never married and even his closest friends knew little about his life. That’s because his life was documenting sartorial choices and inspiring trends. Editors, retailers and designers arduously analyze his pages and he is considered somewhat dogmatic. His chronicles changed the way fashion magazines report style, paved way for blogs and more importantly made everyday people icons – icons expressing their personalities.
Really, this film is an inspiration for any fashionista. For those of you who haven’t seen it, I hope it’s not a ‘spoiler alert,’ I was just trying describe a man whose passion for style is larger than life and has no problem showing it. With that, of course, comes recognition and Bill Cunningham will not only be revered as a pioneer in fashion history, but for a man who really took his craft to heart. He never felt he was working, as he adores what he does and inspires thousands along with it.
Ryzenberg On, is signing off
PHOTO: Bill Cunningham New York Facebook Page