The Illuminating and Inspiring Bill Cunningham

Bill Cunningham New York: Illuminating and Inspiring What is fashion? Fashion is wearing clothes, shoes, and accessories in the way that you like and sometimes praised by people. Nowadays, there are many magazine, newspapers, websites, and blogs are all about fashion styles. Many photographers take photos of famous stars, rich people, models, and designers’ runways. Bill is a photographer “on the street”, and he doesn’t care who is the person that he is taking the picture of. He only cares if he is interested in the styles that people are wearing or not. I have observed his photos, and I found out that Bill was also very concerned about details. He took picture with specific details such as shoes whether high or low, the hair styles whether they are suitable for the clothing or not, and the accessories whether they are still good looking with the clothing or not. I like this man and this film because Bill is not only working with the fashion, he also concerned about people’s arrangement skills of the clothing and give them comments when he is editing the pictures with his colleagues, he put his whole life with fashion and he is still passionate, and he is recording fashionable elements of details with the whole New York city, likewise, his photo, magazine, and newspaper collections are the fashion history of New York city. Most importantly, this movie of Bill Cunningham strongly moved me. Bill doesn’t care about food, where he lives, and how people discuss him. Compare with some people who are also in the fashion filed, they will say I only eat healthy food, I only dress in that brand, I love that brand of coffee, and I live in the downtown of Mahhattan. Before I watched this movie I thought all people in the fashion filed will be censorious and selfish, now I kwon that some people are not. Bill is alone; he lives in a tiny room with files of pictures, and he never has a romance during his whole life. Maybe sometimes he goes to mid-night parties in order to find out more things that interested him, but nobody knows. In his daily life, what I can see is that everything with Bill such as what he is doing, what people he is working with, his friends including young and old are relating to some kinds of fashion. He is alone but I don’t feel he is lonely, he is so passionate with his job and you can catch a smile very easily on his face. What he is doing everyday is his hobby, and nobody can stop him. I feel if I can pursue my target instantly as Bill, I can also be happy and successful. He loves to be on a bike with his iconic blue T-Shirt, and riding through all streets in New York. He is trying to picture every single minute that he thinks is worth to. His actions of taking pictures are so quickly and interesting, and I can still remember the separated flash lamp that he is using. I also notice that when Bill is editing pictures with his colleague, he will give many comments. His ideas about fashion are very straight forward, and very authoritative. People all followed and agreed with what he told them. Moreover, Bill is so knowledgeable. When he goes to runway shows, he will take many pictures that not only attract him but also recall him. He knows which design ideas has already come out before this time, and he will go home put two pictures together to make a comparison. He knows everything that maybe even the designers are not aware of such as the same design idea has come up in which year and in what magazine. Furthermore, Bill is really honest and kind, when the interviewer is asking him some awkward questions, he can choose to not answer but he does not. That is the first time I see pathos on his face but not sad, he will never be sad. He mentions his family, he mention he is a gay, I guess the reason why he never has a romance with another guy must be related to his family, but he doesn’t say anything. Finally, related to this course, I think street styles are very important to fashion because they are more ordinary people and they are most close to our life. What they wearing will be a significant tendency of fashion. I also think that Bill can be such a successful street photographer is also because of his unique inspiration of fashion. Related to this movie, as I want to do fashion merchandising in the future, I should also remember some fashion details and basic knowledge day by day. I need to know how to match clothes appropriately, and don’t mass a good dress up with unsuitable accessories. I need to know more things that other people are not realize to make my own special characteristics. In conclusion, Bill is a lovely man who lives in an easy way, and the only thing he wants is his dream of fashion, of capturing all interesting things in his life. He is not care about money and fame. Something I want to learn from Bill is persistence, and the persistence of doing something I really like with my entire life.