3 Ways Bill Cunningham Changed the Fashion Industry Forever
After suffering a stroke on Thursday, legendary photographer, Bill Cunningham died at the age of 87. An icon in the international fashion community, he created what we now know to be modern street style photography. And no one did it quite like him. In celebration of his life, here are 10 things to know about the fashion icon, including 3 ways he changed the fashion industry forever — and a special tribute from Gigi Hadid.
Getty Images1/12William J. Cunningham was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1929 and attended Harvard University in Cambridge before dropping out in 1948 to move to New York City.
Getty Images2/12Before becoming a photographer, Cunningham worked in advertising in NYC and later designed hats under the name William J until he was forced to close his business after being drafted.
Getty Images3/12Cunningham’s first collection of street style photographs was published in The New York Times in December 1978. Initially, it was a one-off feature, but it quickly became a regular series.
Getty Images4/12To Cunningham, style did not come from Birkin bags and fur coats (though they were surely plentiful in his high-society photographs). Style was about self-expression and personality. He has said about his process: “When I’m photographing, I look for the personal style with which something is worn—sometimes even how an umbrella is carried or how a coat is held closed. At parties, it’s important to be almost invisible, to catch people when they’re oblivious to the camera—to get the intensity of their speech, the gestures of their hands."
Getty Images5/12Cunningham was a freelance photographer for much of his career, though he was most well known for his work for the Times. In fact, it was not until Cunningham was hit by a truck while on his bicycle in 1994 that he finally accepted the newspaper’s offer of a full time job and it was only, as he put it, “a matter of health insurance.”
Getty Images6/12Cunningham was a creature of habit. He could be found nearly every morning eating breakfast at the Stage Star Deli near his home. Rarely seen without his bright blue jacket, khaki pants, and bicycle, the photography icon was hard to miss. And it was truly an honor to see him in action.
Getty Images7/12Until he was forced to move in 2010, Cunningham lived most of his New York City life in a small studio above Carnegie Hall. It was in that studio that he existed among his work—sleeping in a cot, surrounded by cabinets filled to the brim with all of his negatives and many of his prints.
Getty Images8/12Cunningham was a New York City treasure. As such, he was even named a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy in 2009.
Getty Images9/12While New Yorkers were well familiar with the legend, he gained widespread fame when he was the feature of a 2010 documentary, Bill Cunningham New York. He was never after fame, though. The New York Times perhaps put it best when they wrote, "He wanted to find subjects, not be the subject. He wanted to observe, rather than be observed. Asceticism was a hallmark of his brand."
Getty Images10/12Even in his later years, Cunningham had a deeper appreciation for the changing times than most. In an essay for the Times in 2002, he wrote: “Fashion is as vital and as interesting today as ever. I know what people with a more formal attitude mean when they say they’re horrified by what they see on the street. But fashion is doing its job. It’s mirroring exactly our times.”
Getty Images for The Daily Front Row11/12Celebrities, models and street style stars alike considered it a great honor to be photographed by Bill Cunningham. Gigi Hadid posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, writing: "I remember being almost starstruck the first time Bill stepped in front of me with his camera on the street. I was honored. He's told incredible, iconic, real-life fashion stories with his photos, and his spirit will live forever in the industry. #RIPBillCunningham - a fashion icon."
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