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Bill Cunningham Loves a Parade

March 17, 2009 by WendyB

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.

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Filed Under: gorgeous family, In the News, leopard print, Ossie Clark, pictures of me

Previous Post: « Holiday Confusion
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nina (femme rationale) says

    March 17, 2009 at 9:29 pm

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

  2. -h says

    March 17, 2009 at 9:52 pm

    hey you’re a regular with him 😉
    and that’s a big fish!!

  3. Sharon Rose says

    March 18, 2009 at 12:45 am

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

  4. tor (fabfrocks) says

    March 18, 2009 at 3:12 am

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

  5. The Seeker says

    March 18, 2009 at 6:30 am

    Love that b+w picture.

    xoxo

  6. enc says

    March 18, 2009 at 6:31 am

    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!

  7. Little Lj says

    March 18, 2009 at 6:38 am

    I LOVE that Ossie Clarke dress on you!

  8. Susanna says

    March 18, 2009 at 7:06 am

    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. Jill says

    March 18, 2009 at 7:39 am

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

  10. Couture Carrie says

    March 18, 2009 at 7:42 am

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

    xoxox,
    CC

  11. Sal says

    March 18, 2009 at 8:50 am

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

  12. Dr Zibbs says

    March 18, 2009 at 9:06 am

    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.

  13. Rick says

    March 18, 2009 at 9:31 am

    I’d say go with it as your profile pic.

  14. CDP says

    March 18, 2009 at 9:55 am

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

  15. K.Line says

    March 18, 2009 at 10:22 am

    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!

  16. janettaylor says

    March 18, 2009 at 10:30 am

    I love this vintage WendyB pics, esp. leopard jacket! Fabolous!

    xoxo: Janet

  17. Vyque says

    March 18, 2009 at 11:01 am

    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. alixrose says

    March 18, 2009 at 11:22 am

    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!

  19. Shrimpton Couture says

    March 18, 2009 at 11:25 am

    Looking good Miss Wendy B~

  20. Prunella Jones says

    March 18, 2009 at 11:38 am

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

  21. Paul Pincus says

    March 18, 2009 at 11:50 am

    amazing!

    love that bill cunningham shot of you!

  22. Grant Miller says

    March 18, 2009 at 11:57 am

    Absolutely make that your profile picture.

  23. lisa says

    March 18, 2009 at 12:18 pm

    This was such a great read, and those Cunningham photos of you made me smile. 🙂

  24. Cammila says

    March 18, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    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.

  25. TheSundayBest says

    March 18, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    Damn…you a rock star.

  26. WendyB says

    March 18, 2009 at 2:50 pm

    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.

  27. Thumbelina Fashionista says

    March 18, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    Love that shot of you and why does the fluke have its eye there?

  28. KD says

    March 18, 2009 at 4:21 pm

    I read that article too! I love his photos.

  29. *Diane* says

    March 18, 2009 at 4:26 pm

    love the shot of you in the leopard print and shorty short skirt!

  30. Suze says

    March 18, 2009 at 4:54 pm

    You do have the best sense of style. Bitch 🙂

  31. Jill @ Trend de la Creme says

    March 18, 2009 at 8:03 pm

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

  32. Iheartfashion says

    March 19, 2009 at 6:33 am

    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. Danielle says

    March 19, 2009 at 2:24 pm

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

  34. LJ says

    March 19, 2009 at 4:30 pm

    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. Lynette says

    March 21, 2009 at 2:28 pm

    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.

  36. Rollergirl says

    March 21, 2009 at 3:34 pm

    I LOVED that BC article. They don’t make em like him anymore 🙁

  37. m e l i g r o s a says

    March 22, 2009 at 2:16 am

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

  38. fashion herald says

    March 23, 2009 at 10:15 am

    i loved also the description of his apartment. Such integrity and class.

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MEET WENDY BRANDES

Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.
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