Bill Cunningham. Legendary street photographer for the New York Times. I wish I got to meet him. I got close once.
Attendees of the show. Lovely. All of them. Image: Ricardo Gomez Photography
5 years ago at the Ralph Lauren show during New York Fashion Week, he was there! Honestly, I didn’t know who the popular older man in the blue jacket was until much later. Someone just told me he was a photographer for the New York Times. Not “Bill Cunningham”.
Anna Wintour. Love the WWD folks. An image the captures the spectacle of NYFW.
There he is! Trying to keep a low profile! Image: Ricardo Gomez Photography
I was worried for him. Having 30 – 40 photographers all going for an image can be a little like being in a mosh pit. I’m a trained boxer and wrestler and built like a tank. There is no photographer I’ve seen who could hurt me. But this old man? Just one good knock...
The image Bill wanted... Look in his 'unpublished'. You just see a side profile of her. He loves a woman in white. I wish I knew who she was. A Vision. Image: Ricardo Gomez Photography
When people started exiting the Ralph Lauren show (the last that has been publicly publicized), he just jumped in there! I thought someone would knock him over and that would be it. Whether someone knocked him here and there, he never went down. He was in there with people ¼ his age. It was impressive. Inspirational.
I actually think I saw Bill Cunningham at 34th/8th just a few months after arriving in New York City. I saw this guy in a blue jacket running back and for the intersection taking pics of someone. I didn’t know who this was running back and forth.. But that’s Bill’s style. I thought “What a weirdo!”. But when people know you’re with the NY Times and probably going into the paper, I’m sure people don’t mind it.
Dear, sweet, man. Wish I got to meet him.
