The man on the bicycle

"The best fashion show is definitely on the street" - Bill Cunningham

On Saturday night we stayed in and watched Bill Cunningham New York. And far out, what a fantastic documentary!

For those of you unaware of Bill Cunningham/ the man on the bicycle, I'll bring you up to speed. Bill Cunningham photographs people and the passing scene on the streets of Manhattan daily. Through watching this documentary you will see he only photographs people who are wearing extraordinary things. Bill Cunningham has a keen eye for fashion and likes to see people steering clear of "cookie cutter" sameness. And I for one have that same outlook. Why would you want to look like 10 million other people when it is so easy to be an individual?

What really was inspiring about this documentary was that Bill Cunningham is an 80+ man still doing what he loves and what he describes as "not work, it’s pleasure.". He has retained such a youthful spirit - He is still riding a bike around daily, he’s still on the street and is still doing his two columns for The Times. It is inspiring to see there is no age limit on the things you love to do and that if you keep active you will live a long, fulfilled life.

The documentary also has a sad undertone. Bill has chosen to live a modest life. He doesn't care for money and his apartment is very small, filled with filing cabinets upon filing cabinets. This is where he stores every photograph he has ever taken for his own reference. Bill's bed is merely a plank of wood and a mattress. He has never been in a relationship and he doesn't have any children. But he doesn't seem to care. He said he "hasn't ever had the time" - he's always been "too busy" to fit anything along those lines in. He works day and night, and has done so for years. Through this you can see that he has really taken a vow of fashion.

It truly is a must see - so please do! I bet you won't be able to stop smiling at how amazing this gentleman is.

PS: One of the only reasons why I want to go to New York is so I can bump into Bill on 57th Street and 5th Avenue. That would be amazing.

Happy Tuesday
Ally
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