People always ask me what I love most about fashion week and I always have the same answer: seeing the new clothes (it always feels like wiping the slate clean), catching up with fashion friends in between shows (fashion week feels like a big stylish reunion), and getting to see Bill Cunningham on a daily basis. For those of you who don’t know who Mr. Cunningham is, he’s the one who has shot all of the “On the Street” photographs for the New York Times since 1978. This means that he is an insanely talented shutterbug. He also happens to be just about the most lovable human being in fashion, and maybe even New York. He is unfailingly sweet and polite, perfectly dressed, and just plain cuddly. Seeing his bright smile, genteel manners, and neatly brushed snow-white hair always, always, makes a hectic, sweaty, stress-eating, just-kill-me-now fashion week day SO much better. I kind of think of him as my fashion grandpa (and yes, I realize that that’s slightly creepy considering I’ve never actually been introduced to the man).
That’s why I was so enthused this morning when I heard the news that Bergdorf Goodman and the New York Times are teaming up to host a retrospective of Cunningham’s photographs in the store windows from September 5th to 16th along with an exhibition on the 3rd floor. This will be the first, much-deserved formal display of his work. About time.
