BILL CUNNINGHAM AT WORK.

Cinemagraph: Showbit/Somma

A moving picture is the easiest way to see Bill Cunningham at work, and understand his passion for catching style on the street. He’s  probably the real creator of this movement, the “Street Style Hunters”,  from his own page on the New York Times, which was first published on December 1978. So for more than 30 years he ‘s been taking the picture of all fashion moments he saw in Manhattan streets, and then in the other fashion capitals.

Now he is a legend, and seeing him work is getting the opportunity to see how a master works. He’s 83 now, but still his quick eye is searching for fashion  instants like an eagle searching for her prey in the forest. He is capable to get the perfect image that no one saw, his eyes are still young, and his smile after taking the picture is the smile of a guy who’s happy of having done a good job.
The documental about him, “Bill Cunninham New York” , is a beautiful homage to someone who lives fashion free of all the excess, luxury, and crazy atmosphere that sorround the fashion world, and just works his life through in a bohemian way, as true artists do.

Personally,  I feel an enormous respect for people who can create a movement just developing their work, and he is one of these. For who knows his work and knows who he is, it’s great seeing him walk by Linconl Center trying to find that image that makes him happy. But what’ s most important is the respect people feels when he’s around with his camera, it’s like the world stops, and Mr. Cunningham knows how to go through the people, without touching anyone untill he arrives to his goal, and we all just try to breath that experience, and learn, how to do an important work without loosing naivety and simplicity.