Advance Screening of Bill Cunningham New York

Hey Everyone!

This past Thursday, I got to go to an advance screening of a fantastic fashion documentary called Bill Cunningham New York, courtesy of Fashion Magazine Canada. I thought I'd just do a quick review before showing you what I wore to the screening!

Bill Cunningham New York is a film about the endurance of the human spirit as much as it is about fashion. It chronicles the life of Bill Cunningham, octogenarian style photographer for the New York Times. We are invited into his life, and what we find there is stunning - both beautifully and tragically. The passion demonstrated by the notoriously un-fashionably dressed Bill Cunningham is an inspiration and most certainly anomolous. It is rare to glimpse the life of someone so determined to find beauty everywhere, in places expected and unexpected. At 80 years of age, we see a determined Bill Cunningham cycling all over the (cyclist unfriendly) streets of New York, determined to capture the perfect moments on film (yes - film - he doesn't use digital), creating a fascinating narrative about the city through his images of its style. His work is even somewhat anthropological in nature, as his office is full of filing cabinets bursting at the seams with photographic negatives that document decades of the street style and culture for which New York has become famous. The film includes interviews with several important people within the fashion world (Anna Wintour says "I've said many times that we all get dressed for Bill") who emphasize Bill's participation in that world (and the massive effect he has on it), but he is not merely interested in high fashion. Many of Bill's photographs are of "regular" people on the street who simply happen to wear something that interests him. He is not interested in "celebrities and their free dresses," he is interested in clothes - no matter who designed them or who's wearing them. His vision of fashion is rather democratizing and insists that fashion is available to all. I love this aspect of the film because it is so in keeping with my project here. Bill and several of the people interviewed in relation to Bill  (especially Patrick McDonald and Shail Upadhya - former UN official to Nepal) are true characters, and exhibit such a determination to be themselves despite what others think that they are incredibly inspiring. Bill entirely eschews worldly goods and refuses to sell out to or for anyone, living an almost-monk-like lifestyle, insisting that he will not accept anything (even a meal at a function he is covering) so that he can maintain artistic integrity and true freedom of expression. This aspect of the film is truly refreshing in our capital-driven times. I strongly recommend that you go see Bill Cunningham New York. Anyone who is interested in fashion will love it, and those who are not interested in fashion, but just interested in humanity, will love it too. My favourite quote from the film was something Bill said: "He who seeks beauty will find it." Well, I have found it. In this film, and definitely in you, Bill. Thank you for dedicating your life to helping us all to see the beauty.

With Michael from Films We Like - The production company for Bill Cunningham New York

Many thanks to Fashion Magazine Canada for the complimentary pass!

Jacket - Forever 21+/Dress - ASOS (their straight size collection - a UK 18 or US 14, this one looked stetchy and big at the hips so I chanced it and ordered it - glad I did)/Leather Look Leggings - Yours Clothing/Shoes - Clockhouse Brand from a department store in Amsterdam called C&A (these need some love from the shoe repair guy as they have a kitten heel, and I wore them in Amsterdam walking on cobblestones and the heel kept getting stuck and the leather is all messed up now)/Purse and Scarf - Costa Blanca/Feather Fascinator/hair clip - Urban Outfitters

Peacock feather fascinator/hair clip

And the man behind all the fashion madness finally consented to me posting a picture of him on here! This is my boyfriend/life partner/significant other/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, Peter. We've been together for over 12 years now, and he's always amazingly supportive with everything I do (which is quite a lot, actually). Thank you sweetheart, for being my photographer, sometimes my assistant self-stylist, a great ear and shoulder, and my best friend. I love you.

When we got home, I realized this detail on the dress had been hidden in a lot of the shots by my scarf, so I decided to take a shot of it because it's one of my favourite parts of the dress!

And zoomed out...

So what do you guys think of the outfit? Have any of you seen Bill Cunningham New York yet? I truly recommend it (no one has paid me/given me anything to say this - it's just my honest opinion). Peter even liked it, and he's not into fashion at all. We even spent this past Sunday perusing the style section of the New York Times (which is where Bill's articles appear) in a coffee shop in Liberty Village because we were so inspired by the film. Go see it!!!