Bill Cunningham New York

In Bill Cunningham New York, film-maker Richard Press follows photographer Bill Cunningham’s gentle, observational model in this gem of a film about the man who invented the notion of street style photography…

Film-maker Richard Press follows photographer Bill Cunningham’s gentle, observational model in this gem of a film about the man who invented the notion of street style photography, and, in many ways, constructed our notion of the aesthetics of New York City.

Cunningham, originally a milliner, is both the society and street style photographer for the New York Times, and his blue coated figure on an ancient Schwinn pushbike, can be seen to have contributed much to our perception of a city filled with colour, characters, and life.

Cunningham famously was first to photograph New York’s underground as well as its denizens of Uptown, interested only in the great outfit or the sense of originality, rather than who he took pictures of.

A charmingly observed documentary, Bill Cunningham’s New York gives real insight into the artistic, creative community of New York from the 1940s until the present day, with an undercurrent of a sense of loss as the wonderful eccentrics Cunningham is one of grow old – will we see their like again?

I’d suggest this film has a wider audience than fashion; anyone intrigued with the Big Apple will find glorious images, narrative and history here, watching Cunningham swoop from SoHo to the Museum of Natural History on his bike, camera slung over his blue coat, a kingfisher darting through the yellow cabs.

Anna Wintour states in the film: “we all get dressed for Bill.” A kinder, gentler audience could not be imagined.

By Kate Hannah, 8 July 2011.