A New Book Captures the Colorful World of the Late Bill Cunningham—The Original Street Style Photographer

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“I go out every day,” Bill Cunningham once explained. “When I get depressed at the office, I go out, and as soon as I’m on the street and see people, I feel better. But I never go out with a preconceived idea. I let the street speak to me.”

On June 25, 2016, when Cunningham passed away, the street lost its most eloquent spokesperson. The renowned newspaper photographer, ubiquitous in his blue French worker’s jacket, camera slung around his neck, bicycle (he ran through 27 of them) at the ready, spent decades photographing the men, women, children—even pets—whose looks and styles fascinated him. Whether he was lurking outside the tents of Bryant Park or watching elegant women puddle jump in a rainstorm or documenting the passing show at his favorite corner of 57th and Fifth, which has been named in his honor, Cunningham was dogged in his determination to seize, and freeze, the moment. “I just loved to see wonderfully dressed women, and I still do,” he said with his typical modesty. “That’s all there is to it.”

You find yourself thinking about Cunningham a lot this time of year, as the latest round of Fashion Weeks looms, which makes the arrival of the new picture book Polka Dot Parade most welcome. This beautiful volume about the photographer by Deborah Blumenthal—intended for children but lovely enough for all ages—features stunning watercolors by Masha D’yans. Cunningham’s spirit comes alive through these fanciful illustrations, depicting the master in his milieu—the street—along with dreamy renderings of the wild costumes he loved to photograph, highlights from his life story, and even a cavalcade of caricatures of eccentric fashion personalities. (Full disclosure: This author is among them—but that is not why I like the book so much.)

“The best fashion show is definitely on the street. Always has been, always will be,” Cunningham insisted. And the best chronicler of this endlessly compelling, impromptu polka dot parade is Bill Cunningham—always has been, always will be.


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