Fashion

bill cunningham

The most legendary street style photographer passes away

As it goes in the morning, I grab my phone as soon as I wake up and check WhatsApp. Some cheerful little messages and then suddenly a message from photographer Dirk Kikstra in Los Angeles. Bill Cunningham has passed away.

Bill Cunningham was the first, the sweetest, the hardest working and most special street style photographer that ever existed. A striking example. Liesbeth appeared in his style collage in The New York Times. He was fond of Liesbeth and her colorful style, so he photographed her in her Peter Pilotto jacket. By the way, she bought it with ninety percent discount at the Bijenkorf. Speaking of a good deal... But Bill, he sent Liesbeth the newspaper and also included a sweet note.

Bill was a bit of an odd duck in the fashion world. First of all, he was nice. In this world, especially during fashion weeks, a rare phenomenon. “Can I pass my love?” Always a big smile on his face and always hunched over in his seat in the front row. He wanted to see everything.

Secondly, Bill had nothing to do with fashion himself. He always wore a bright blue jacket that he bought in France. It is a jacket that French road workers wear. Clearly colorful but especially indestructible, because all his other clothes always got damaged by the camera that hung over his belly all day.

”Over the years, I saw him walking more and more hunched over because he preferred to hide his head between his shoulders”

And Bill was shy. Where normally in the fashion world narcissism thrives and it’s not about seeing and being seen but actually only about the latter, Bill shrank when you wanted to take a photo of him. Over the years, I saw him walking more and more hunched over because he preferred to hide his head between his shoulders.

Another thing. He had nothing to do with luxury. No taxis or black street cars for him. Bill always took his little bike. Liesbeth has been to his house once. It was filled with photos and somewhere in the apartment stood a stretcher that served as his bed.

Everything, absolutely everything was focused on his work. Bill worked until his last breath and gosh guys, how sad I find it that we will no longer see his cheerful face and blue jacket.