“Connecting Outside Sources”

Source #1: Memoir by Grace Coddington

Source #2: Bill Cunningham Documentary

Building a bridge between a film surrounding the works of a fashion photographer and a memoir of a fashion editor promised commonalities by the dozen. Amongst those commonalities stood an idea that I had often thought of before as I did my independent research. It was the idea of “who has the authority of deeming something as fashionable and who doesn’t”. Here we have Bill Cunningham, one of the most respected photographers of our time. Still, what does that mean, exactly? How did he achieve this status, beyond “working hard”? Would the same vetements that he considered chic be given as much praise if someone with a lesser-recognized connoisseurship gave it the fashion stamp of approval?

As a white cis man, Cunningham reaped of the luxury of his white privilege in ways that other “street life” photographers (photographers of color) could not. In his experience, having a funky eccentric personality was seen as the Cunningham appeal. However, his practices might not have as well received by the fashion industry had it be a lesser known photographer that approached celebrities, models, and high ranking professionals at events with the same “charisma” that was so greatly recognized in Cunningham.