The new H&M magazine is out and as usual it’s a cracking good read. Each issue has three 1000+ word features and this issue includes one of mine on the magic of fashion shows. That’s not the only reason it’s a good read though. (more…)
More on the street style/self-style phenomenon that only seems to be growing. Last week saw the launch of Jimmy Choo’s 24:7 Stylemakers which follows on from what Burberry did with Art Of The Trench and Armani did with Frames Of Your Life. Users of the 24:7 Stylemakers site upload pictures of themselves wearing Jimmy Choo either via the site itself or with Facebook/Instagram (using the #choo247 hashtag). (more…)
I was invited to the UK premier of the Bill Cunningham New York film last week and I’m happy to report it was as good as Vidal Sassoon The Movie and The September Issue. Right from the opening frames I was hooked. This documentary captures the essence of New York, New Yorkers and the enigmatic spirit of Cunningham. For decades he has been on the streets, snapping passers-by for the New York Times, then getting his 35mm films developed at a local store. His apartment in Carnegie Hall is crammed with filing cabinets and the most basic of beds, his ‘wardrobe’ is a few wire hangers and his bathroom is a communal one down the hall. At 82 he still scoots around town on a push bike with a bumbag round his waist and his camera bag over the shoulder.
For Bill it really is all about getting the shots and all about the clothes. The film also shows him recording his commentaries for the digital version of On The Street (this week he observes how New York men are sharpening up) where he nails the week’s observations in one take. The narrative running through the film hinges on his enforced relocation from his belove Carnegie Hall apartment to a newer building, which gives the film a bittersweet storyline. But overall it’s an honest and uplifting portrait of a man and a city with glimpses of the industry and some of its colourful characters.
Bill Cunningham New York will be released in select UK cinemas on March 16.
As a side note, I was rather taken with Mr Cunningham’s daily ‘uniform’ of chinos and blue-on-blue layers – Yves Klein workman’s jacket, sky blue oxford shirt and cornflower sweater-over-the-shoulders. Plus rain poncho and Sorel boots for inclement weather (which is when he gets his best photos). I’m quite partial to a rain poncho and a sweater over the shoulders myself, not to mention a bumbag or two. Ines De La Fressange paid her own homage to Bill at the couture shows a couple of weeks ago, where she donned a Cunningham-esque blue shirt and cap to photograph show-goers for Madame Figaro. Wonder if it’ll catch on?
[Images:Max Cook/Patrick Demarchelier/The Sartorialist/WWD]
Love this Style.com video on Tommy Ton. It’s interesting how he mentions that one of his favourite things is seeing his work appear on Tumblr because he likes to feel his pictures have inspired someone. I’ve been wondering how photographers feel about seeing their work reproduced on blogs without the syndication fee.
A friend told me a great story about Ton after last London Fashion Week. My friend got followed for several blocks by a ‘team’ of photographers after coming out of Somerset House. At first the incessant clicks didn’t bother him, but after five minutes he stopped and asked who they were shooting for. It turned out to be Tommy and his cohorts shooting for various international GQs.
But the funniest bit was that my friend wasn’t wearing anything particularly ‘fashion’; in fact his denim jacket had a big tear in the sleeve. But it transpired that this tear was the exact detail that he was being pursued for. A few hours after laughing at this story, I noticed I’d posted a link to this Tommy Ton for GQ.com gallery on my Facebook page two days previously.
And of course there, in all its glory was the prized picture. No face, no outfit, just a close-up of a hole in a sleeve. That’s dedication for you!
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGE: Tommy Ton / GQ
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here
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