Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Bill Cunningham Loves a Parade

by

I saw New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham aiming his camera at the St. Patrick’s Day parade-goers in midtown yesterday. Hopefully he was having better luck than I was, since I suddenly realized I didn’t have a memory card in my camera.

The sighting was timely because I’d just read a profile of Cunningham, the original “street style” photographer — now 80 and still going strong. In the style issue of the New Yorker, author Lauren Collins describes Cunningham’s predilection for parades and other non-fashion-industry moments:

“His sensibility is exhilaratingly democratic. He takes wonder, or whimsy, where he finds it, chronicling the Obama Inauguration, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, Wigstock, and the snowman sweatshirts and reindeer turtlenecks of tourists; the do-rag and the way that, at one point in 2000, many young hip-hop fans spontaneously took to wearing their sweatshirts abstractly, with the neck hole on the shoulder, or with the sleeves dangling down the back.”

In other words, to Cunningham, style is not ALL about the shoes of coltish Teen Vogue staffers. Shocking, I know. That said, Cunningham does like fancy shoes, especially in the rain:

“In a recent column, examining the way New Yorkers dress for wet weather, Cunningham poked fun at ‘the snobs,’ who ‘are so above it all, they think the waters will part for them even as they sink to their ankles.'”

I can add that the dude also appreciates a good vintage dress and a leopard-print jacket.

Maybe this highlarious 1994 New York Times photo should be my profile picture.

My favorite Cunningham quote combines a Wear What You Want philosophy and a reference to royalty: “Do’s and don’ts? I don’t think there are any don’ts! What right does one have?” he says. “It’s like the Queen of England, when she appears, and people have nasty things to say. My God, she’s dressing for her station and her office!” Not the typical “fashion” attitude but then, as Collins points out, “Cunningham has often been described as a fashion monk, but he is closer to an oblate — a layperson who has dedicated his life to the tribe without becoming part of it.”

I especially appreciated the anecdote with which Collins starts the story, in which a woman with blue hair inspired Cunningham to do a feature on people wearing blue. He knew he was ready to wrap it up when he snapped a guy carrying a stuffed blue marlin. The reason I especially appreciated his free-association style? Right here:

Click to enlarge.
I’m in the bottom row.
(From 2006.)

Now, Cunningham did seem to enjoy seeing my vintage Ossie Clark dress, and the dress’s design ostensibly fit a reference he made in the story to wide belts, but let’s face it: I’m there because I match the background in the big photo. I was wearing a red/white/black print in the right place at the right time. If I’d been carrying a stuffed blue marlin in the right place at the right time, I could have been in the blue story.

Seriously, I could have been in the blue story — it’s the one that got away! — because my gorgeous father, GeorgeB, has a stuffed blue sailfish (like a marlin with a huge fin) from his fisherman days. He also has a fluke that he caught when he was 16 years old. I was scared of the fluke as a child because it has two crazy little eyes on one side of its head. The fluke catch was written up in a now-defunct newspaper called the Long Island Daily Press because it was the biggest fluke caught that year so far. (Don’t say, “Slow news day?” It was a different era.) Also, GeorgeB was fishing for bluefish (really!) at the time, so catching a fluke was, truly, a fluke. That added to the newsworthiness, I’m sure. Anyway, I’m telling you all this because I’m thinking of prancing up and down 5th Avenue with the stuffed fluke. Bill Cunningham will see me and think: “New trend — crazy eyes!” Then Heather Mills will make it into the Times for sure.

Click to enlarge GeorgeB’s fish.
The second eye is way up top.

*You can buy the style issue of the New Yorker online.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. wow, how cool that you’ve been photographed by bill cunningham! i love they way you rock prints like no other.

  3. Hi there-fabulous to see these pictures of you in the press and the leopard print jacket is a timeless, gorgeous classic!

  4. The Ossie dress looks great – you should have that picture blown up and put on your mantle!!

  6. Boy, do you have the power to look fabulous no matter what!

    I loved this zig-zagging idea connection-fest; it’s probably your best work ever. It was so determined and purposeful, you didn’t flounder a bit!

  8. That’s a great photo of you in the Ossie Clark dress.

    I wonder how many people will land on your blog when they search for “blue marlin” on ze interwebs. Actually no — they’ll probably be searching for “blue merlins.”

  9. I’ve always been grossed out by the word fluke…but only when it refers to the fish…weird, right?

  10. Love these vintage WB pics, and the one you linked in your comment was fab too!

    xoxox,
    CC

  11. I only recently learned of Cunningham’s existence, but was immediately charmed. Those narrated slideshows he does are just marvelous.

  12. Love that picture. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of you smiling.

    Also, if you ever mention me on your famous blog, please refer to me as handsome like you do to all the others.

  14. I love the picture in the Ossie dress…you should definitely buy a print of that from the Times!

  15. The fact that you are still wearing the leopard jacket 15 years later is a testimony to its fantasticness. Aren’t you fashion royalty, Wendy!

  17. He took a pic of me at the Tuleh show, I’m so desperate to see it somewhere so I can tell everyone I’m famous!

  18. Silly? Only the most fantastic way. I would die before posting any older pictures of me, but your pics are fabulous and I only want to see more!

  20. You always look like you’re having such a blast in all your pics. What’s your secret?

  24. An attitude that fashion is contextual?! Or even (gasp) ARBITRARY! Hats off to Mr. Cunninghamn.

    And that pic of you is just the cutest thing.

  26. Tor and CDP, a friend of mine who works at the Times thoughtfully sent me the metal printer’s plate of the feature. That’s what I scanned here. I have it hanging on the wall usually.

    ENC, that’s a nice compliment especially from you! I know you have high standards.

    Dr Zibbs, did you mean “smiling” or “not smiling,” you handsome devil?

    Alixrose, trust me, you’re not going to see many more old photos.

  31. you lucky lucky girl. maybe i’ll die and have the privilege of coming back as a pair of your winter mittens 😉

  32. I’ve been using the term “fashion oblate” since I read that article. Bill Cunningham is a true original. I love that insists on staying in a crappy hotel when the Times sends him to Paris.
    And you look great Wendy! I don’t think you were chosen just to match the background : )

  33. Haliboot! wait – someone should design a hali-boot…(you know, canadian for halibut).

  34. I loathe do/don’t lists. It’s bullocks. Just have fun with it!

    Also..Hope you still have that leopard print.. you have to wear it, it’s class!
    xx-LJ from SOS!

  35. You’re a never-ending-series-of-super-surprises, WendyB! Your creative cunning plays equally well with photos, words, ideas. I thoroughly enjoy it!

    My son Lamont has cooked fluke at Three Doors Down Cafe in Portland, deliciously so.

    You’re so right about the CSI comment at Portland Oregon Daily Photo.

  37. bill is the best!! thanks for sharing that clip from the times, love the fierce lip color, some things never change! MAH-VELOUS