No offense, but anyone who DOESNT mention Bill Cunningham at the top of that list of street style documenters cant be a true fashion fan – and are ignorant of fashion photographic history. Mr. Cunningham is the true original street fashion chronicler and has been out pounding the streets to capture street style w/ his camera and keen, sensitive eye while those other names (not denying how great they are) were still in diapers. Mr. Cunningham forged the path that all the others follow (though wonderfully imbued w/ their own distinct voices). Cheers to Bill Cunningham and thanks to Scott for illuminating a wider audience to Mr. C's unique , groundbreaking, diligent, endlessly fresh and tireless contributions to the street style medium.
I used to see him every day when I worked on the window displays at Bergdorf's but never really "got" that he was anything other than some nutty guy with a bike and camera! Now I wish that I had "dressed up" for him; I dont think paint spattered jeans and a hazy, spray-mount induced grim did much to get me noticed!
I saw Bill 2 days ago photographing at fashion week. I wanted to come up and say hello and introduce myself and tell him what a fan i am of his work… But i couldnt bring myself to do it. Couldnt bring myself to distract him from what seems to be his own special world.. I dont think many people are allowed in that world which makes even moreso fascinating. Amazingly talented man. I am definitely going to watch and later own a copy of this film.
Bill Cunningham owes a great deal to early 20th century reportage photographers like the Seeberger brothers (Chronicle Books published an English version of a 2007 French BNF exhibition catalog of their work).
If you want to see the original source material, check out early American Vogue or L'Officiel (early French vogues are very difficult to come by as FIT limits archive research). Their photographs of fashionably dressed women seen out and about were published in magazines and newspapers in London, New York, as well as Paris.
Street photography is not new and even older than Bill Cunningham.
Bill has a truly great eye especially since he photographs the person on the street, not celebrities, not models, not industry people — all of whom have access to great, expensive clothes and should be expected to dress interestingly.
"Fashion is the armor for everyday life" is just a brilliant quote. I am so glad that the preview uses the same music as his feature on the Times webpage. Agree with the earlier commenter, I'm a bit offended by the presumptiousness of the Independent to say that we don't know who he is! The man is a legend!
I want to be a Bill Cunningham at some point in my life. His videos on the NY times got me interested in photographing people on the street, something which I tried out while studying abroad in Europe. After finding this blog (Sartorialist), my interest in photographing people on the street has grown enormously. I'm very excited to see this movie…somehow. Hopefully it opens on the West coast somewhere!
We saw this in Australia last year and I cried… incredibly moving and real. Makes the fakeries of modern life seem embarassing. A true original with such integrity. Must see.
Growing up in NYC and having been bitten by the fashion bug at an early age, I have seen Mr. Cunningham my entire life. He is wonderfully sweet, incredibly talented and is one of the reason I continue to enjoy fashion, as an art form, not a consumer addiction. Long live Bill Cunningham!
Bill Cunningham embodies a true artist –– his work and original vision speaks for himself, nothing else. Anonymity is treasured by the greatest of artists, and though 'street style' photographers may be contrived and ubiquitous now, there's no doubt in my mind that he is the Mozart and Monet of street photography.
I absolutley love this man! It's always one of the favorite parts of my weekend when I can login to the New York Times and treat myself to Bill Cunningham's "On The Street"
I just read the interview on Cool Hunting, and how cool (for lack of a better word)! Mr. Cunningham hasn't seen the documentary himself—and he doesn't intend to. He's such an icon. http://www.coolhunting.com/culture/bill-cunningham.php
Getting a peek into the way Bill Cunningham lives and how he relates to money via this short trailer shows profound strength of the rudder of freedom and truth in his artistic work and life.
Years ago my boyfriend gave me a subscription to the Sunday NYTimes for Christmas. That's when I first discovered Bill Cunningham. It became like a treat. If I was good and read the serious parts of the paper……the front page and business sections, Week in Review…..my reward, like a delicious dessert, was Bill Cunningham's street style column. So many of his photos I cut out and saved! Now I watch his videos online. What a dear, remarkable, sweet gentleman! Along with his inspiring photos, he's an inspiration himself.
Hello! i have started reading ur blog! and i love it! i was wondering if you would mind if i featured you on my next article? contact me if you agree please cgrincho@hotmail.com thank you
@Erin, You're missing the point entirely. No one is saying Bill started it all. But he does have a particular perspective that has become the basis of the work of many who have tried to follow in his footsteps. The point of the documentary was to capture the life and work of one particular journalist – a legend at that – to the exclusion of others.
MEO
February 15, 2011 at 4:14 pm
straordinario!!!!!!!
franca maisha
February 15, 2011 at 4:17 pm
def gonna watch it! he's what I call a true artist.. <3
Kat
February 15, 2011 at 4:18 pm
mhmm, thank you. now i'm dying to see it. he truly is wonderful, isn't he?
what did you think of the film when you saw it?
el ojo de la aguja
February 15, 2011 at 4:21 pm
cant wait to see the film!!!!!
Lovay
February 15, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Looks promising!
FAD Magazine
February 15, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Looks incredible. He deserves this! Can't wait to see the film.
my.amalgam
February 15, 2011 at 4:28 pm
i know what i am doing march 16!
http://www.myamalgam.blogspot.com
thanks for sharing.
Anonymous
February 15, 2011 at 4:36 pm
I saw an early screening too and loved it! Here's a great interview with the director, Richard Press:
http://www.coolhunting.com/culture/bill-cunningham.php
Robert
February 15, 2011 at 4:40 pm
No offense, but anyone who DOESNT mention Bill Cunningham at the top of that list of street style documenters cant be a true fashion fan – and are ignorant of fashion photographic history.
Mr. Cunningham is the true original street fashion chronicler and has been out pounding the streets to capture street style w/ his camera and keen, sensitive eye while those other names (not denying how great they are) were still in diapers.
Mr. Cunningham forged the path that all the others follow (though wonderfully imbued w/ their own distinct voices).
Cheers to Bill Cunningham and thanks to Scott for illuminating a wider audience to Mr. C's unique , groundbreaking, diligent, endlessly fresh and tireless contributions to the street style medium.
reigs
February 15, 2011 at 4:44 pm
He reminds of that other great snapper William Eggleston,
Vive la camera!
Ian
February 15, 2011 at 4:51 pm
That does look fascinating, I look forward to it coming out…
http://coffeesmellsandlilacskin.blogspot.com/
mia
February 15, 2011 at 5:23 pm
his work is trully fascinating
wordbyjessie.com
February 15, 2011 at 5:27 pm
veeeeeery much looking forward to this. he is an icon.
http://www.wordbyjessie.com
xxjj
Paul Baxendale
February 15, 2011 at 5:39 pm
I used to see him every day when I worked on the window displays at Bergdorf's but never really "got" that he was anything other than some nutty guy with a bike and camera! Now I wish that I had "dressed up" for him; I dont think paint spattered jeans and a hazy, spray-mount induced grim did much to get me noticed!
*sunday*
February 15, 2011 at 5:51 pm
I saw Bill 2 days ago photographing at fashion week. I wanted to come up and say hello and introduce myself and tell him what a fan i am of his work… But i couldnt bring myself to do it. Couldnt bring myself to distract him from what seems to be his own special world.. I dont think many people are allowed in that world which makes even moreso fascinating. Amazingly talented man. I am definitely going to watch and later own a copy of this film.
stateofsunday.blogspot.com
This Time Now
February 15, 2011 at 6:08 pm
I love his spirit. He is a true artist, a pioneer and he's still forging new paths.
My Heart Blogged
February 15, 2011 at 6:20 pm
I can not wait to see this. What an amazing person.
My Heart Blogged
TheMinx
February 15, 2011 at 6:30 pm
amazing. I saw him for the first time at the rebecca minkoff show this week and couldn't even move. he is truly a legend.
The Dandy Portraits
February 15, 2011 at 6:53 pm
I think everyone wants to know the inside story on Bill! Fascinating that even folks he has photoed for years know nothing about him.
Erin
February 15, 2011 at 7:11 pm
Bill Cunningham owes a great deal to early 20th century reportage photographers like the Seeberger brothers (Chronicle Books published an English version of a 2007 French BNF exhibition catalog of their work).
If you want to see the original source material, check out early American Vogue or L'Officiel (early French vogues are very difficult to come by as FIT limits archive research). Their photographs of fashionably dressed women seen out and about were published in magazines and newspapers in London, New York, as well as Paris.
Street photography is not new and even older than Bill Cunningham.
Sophie Mhabille
February 15, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Thank you very much to present us this great and humble person. I would love to watch the movie
curaku
February 15, 2011 at 7:29 pm
LOVE!
jill rosenwald
February 15, 2011 at 7:49 pm
thank you for sharing this..i am a long time bill cunningham fan and had no idea the film was coming out. it looks like it is going to be wonderful!
Tiffany Yet To Be Determined
February 15, 2011 at 8:56 pm
SOOO love him! What a treasure. What a character! Love his philosophy. xx
http://fearlesslyfemale.blogspot.com/
Lucy
February 15, 2011 at 9:20 pm
Need to watch! Looks quite amazing.
Anonymous
February 15, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Bill has a truly great eye especially since he photographs the person on the street, not celebrities, not models, not industry people — all of whom have access to great, expensive clothes and should be expected to dress interestingly.
Urban Weeds
February 15, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Bill is amazing! A huge inspiration to everyone photographing street style. I can't wait to watch this.
Maryanne
February 15, 2011 at 10:11 pm
how gracious for one fashion icon to pay tribute in his blog to another.
sara
February 15, 2011 at 10:15 pm
he snapped me in the marc by marc jacobs press pit today but i was busy trying to snap him!
John Krill
February 15, 2011 at 10:29 pm
It's the story of a man, not just a photographer. A man with very strong beliefs.
Some would say pure of heart.
A monk with a camera and a love of fashion.
He is unique, very unique.
Kayla
February 15, 2011 at 10:47 pm
So excited to see this, thanks for showing :)
xx
heydoll16.blogspot.com
p.s. love the glee mention (=
Marisa
February 15, 2011 at 11:08 pm
"Fashion is the armor for everyday life" is just a brilliant quote. I am so glad that the preview uses the same music as his feature on the Times webpage. Agree with the earlier commenter, I'm a bit offended by the presumptiousness of the Independent to say that we don't know who he is! The man is a legend!
Anonymous
February 15, 2011 at 11:43 pm
I want to be a Bill Cunningham at some point in my life. His videos on the NY times got me interested in photographing people on the street, something which I tried out while studying abroad in Europe. After finding this blog (Sartorialist), my interest in photographing people on the street has grown enormously. I'm very excited to see this movie…somehow. Hopefully it opens on the West coast somewhere!
Anonymous
February 15, 2011 at 11:54 pm
We saw this in Australia last year and I cried… incredibly moving and real. Makes the fakeries of modern life seem embarassing. A true original with such integrity. Must see.
Devon Kaylor
February 16, 2011 at 12:18 am
Growing up in NYC and having been bitten by the fashion bug at an early age, I have seen Mr. Cunningham my entire life. He is wonderfully sweet, incredibly talented and is one of the reason I continue to enjoy fashion, as an art form, not a consumer addiction. Long live Bill Cunningham!
~Alaina
February 16, 2011 at 2:25 am
Thanks for the advance notice about this movie, it's even going to show in my city, Portland, OR. I look forward to it!
Alyssa
February 16, 2011 at 3:24 am
Bill Cunningham embodies a true artist –– his work and original vision speaks for himself, nothing else. Anonymity is treasured by the greatest of artists, and though 'street style' photographers may be contrived and ubiquitous now, there's no doubt in my mind that he is the Mozart and Monet of street photography.
Kudos!
MagisterElegantiarum
February 16, 2011 at 3:50 am
Really want to watch it. Thank you for posting it, I would not have seen the trailer otherwise.
La Femme Française
February 16, 2011 at 4:42 am
Excellent ! I want to see the film !!!
Sandra
February 16, 2011 at 5:34 am
great!Need to watch! Bill is an icon!
http://www.mysavageside.blogspot.com
Ana Magnolia
February 16, 2011 at 7:49 am
He seems such a nice and interesting person! I would love to see this documentary…
82Brute
February 16, 2011 at 7:58 am
Iris Apfel! I love her. I learn so much here. Will hope the film eventually hits art houses in Boston.
HOT + COOL
February 16, 2011 at 9:17 am
Iconic.
Albana
February 16, 2011 at 10:17 am
I'm aching to see this, but I'm not in the states!! Does anyone know how long will it be out for?
Justin B.
February 16, 2011 at 10:21 am
Looks good!
Anonymous
February 16, 2011 at 11:05 am
Intriguing. Thanks for this!
The Hype Around...
February 16, 2011 at 11:15 am
I absolutley love this man!
It's always one of the favorite parts of my weekend when I can login to the New York Times and treat myself to Bill Cunningham's "On The Street"
Anonymous
February 16, 2011 at 11:26 am
I just read the interview on Cool Hunting, and how cool (for lack of a better word)! Mr. Cunningham hasn't seen the documentary himself—and he doesn't intend to. He's such an icon.
http://www.coolhunting.com/culture/bill-cunningham.php
[anna]
February 16, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Incredible. I never buy films, but this one's coming home with me!
bridget
February 16, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Getting a peek into the way Bill Cunningham lives and how he relates to money via this short trailer shows profound strength of the rudder of freedom and truth in his artistic work and life.
A model for us all.
Anonymous
February 16, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Reminds me of the Valentino documentary. Can't wait!!!
schokoboks
February 16, 2011 at 5:22 pm
"you see if you don't take money, they can't tell you what to do – it's the key to the whole thing"
love it. he's so jovial – maybe the people that know him, realize he's not a loner…
Anonymous
February 16, 2011 at 8:50 pm
I can't wait to see it.
princess glee
February 16, 2011 at 8:58 pm
Thanks for mentioning Bill Cunningham I don't know if I would've learned of him otherwise. Watching the clip lets me know I must see the film.
Rizalenio
February 16, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Oh Wow! Thanks for sharing this. What an inspiration.
Anonymous
February 17, 2011 at 5:37 am
One of my personal heroes in street photography alongside Schuman and Dorè. Will see this at least as many times as September Issue.
Anonymous
February 17, 2011 at 4:00 pm
I hope it plays in KCMO!
Anonymous
February 18, 2011 at 10:37 am
Bill Cunningham is the OG of street style photography. No one else will come close.
Yavidan Violeta
February 19, 2011 at 5:29 am
It is fascinating this video, Bill is a pioneer a mentor for many bloggers.
Thank you for sharing the video ;)
gwyn
February 20, 2011 at 3:21 am
Years ago my boyfriend gave me a subscription to the Sunday NYTimes for Christmas. That's when I first discovered Bill Cunningham. It became like a treat. If I was good and read the serious parts of the paper……the front page and business sections, Week in Review…..my reward, like a delicious dessert, was Bill Cunningham's street style column. So many of his photos I cut out and saved! Now I watch his videos online. What a dear, remarkable, sweet gentleman! Along with his inspiring photos, he's an inspiration himself.
Anonymous
February 20, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I LOVE BILL CUNNINGHAM!
Anonymous
February 21, 2011 at 3:40 pm
Bill Cunningham took my photo in the 80's I was on my way to a Betsy johnson show and it turn up on the cover of WWD
jainé [brklynview]
February 21, 2011 at 11:40 pm
if i was home, i would def. see this movie. hoping it's out on DVD when we return… looks inspiring!
Carolina
February 25, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Hello! i have started reading ur blog! and i love it! i was wondering if you would mind if i featured you on my next article?
contact me if you agree please
cgrincho@hotmail.com
thank you
Samantha
March 2, 2011 at 5:06 am
This makes me want to be his best friend. I think my dad (who is also 80) and Bill would be the most ridiculously funny people to hang out with ever!
http://www.seasonedwithyouth.com
Anonymous
April 1, 2011 at 3:40 pm
@Erin,
You're missing the point entirely. No one is saying Bill started it all. But he does have a particular perspective that has become the basis of the work of many who have tried to follow in his footsteps.
The point of the documentary was to capture the life and work of one particular journalist – a legend at that – to the exclusion of others.