“To see a Bill Cunningham street spread was to see all of New York,” New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet said in a tweet posted to the newspaper’s Twitter account Saturday afternoon.
Iconic street fashion photographer, Bill Cunningham has sadly died at the age of 87. Cunningham spent almost 40 years working for the New York Times and was known for his love of quirky and eccentric fashion. He arrived in New York at the age of 19 and after a post in the Korean War he set up his own millinery. When fashion became less formal, and hats were no longer a fashion staple, Cunningham took to fashion writing which then led him to photography, where he would often be found on his bicycle, cycling around the streets of New York with his camera. His unique eye for fashion and his passion for candid photography allowed him to become a favourite at industry events and even won him many accolades, among them the Officier de l’ordre des arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2008 and the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence in 2012. However, his glamorous career did not cross over into his personal life and Cunningham lived a very understated and modest lifestyle.
“We will remember the vivid, vivacious New York he captured in his photos,” said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Bill Cunningham & Anna Wintour
By Amy Louise
