Bill Cunningham New York opens in Indy Friday, GO SEE IT

Photo courtesy of Zeitgeist Films

It's possible you've never seen Bill Cunningham's "On the Street" page in the Sunday Style section. It's possible you don't read The New York Times, which would be reasonable if you don't live in New York. It's also possible you don't care about fashion, which would be unreasonable if you're reading this blog.

However, even if all of the above statements are true, you should still go see Bill Cunningham New York, which will be at the Keystone Art Cinema for a week, starting Friday. (June 24)

Simply put, Cunningham is a guy who rides his old Schwinn around NYC, taking pictures of what people are wearing. You don't have to be famous to be in his picture, and you certainly don't have to be rich. You just have to be stylish and different. He's not a clothes snob and he'd never dream of telling people what they should be wearing, he only tells us what people are wearing.

"A lot of people have taste, but they don’t have the daring to be creative," he said. 


Long before there was The Sartorialist, who's garnered more than a little celebrity off of his street style photography, there was Cunningham, who wears a blue smock and a plastic poncho to take pictures between $3 lunches.

Playful clarinet music accompanies his sprite-like movements as he hops over a puddle, his poncho billowing after him, or circles a group of women, photographing their shoes. The film is a fitting testament to this man's delightful existence. 

If you have the slightest interest in people, in fashion, in New York, in film, in art, please do yourself a favor and see this film. By the end, you'll care for Cunningham as deeply as those interviewed for the documentary; individuals who range from drag queens to Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Show times for this Friday are 2:00, 5:00, 7:00 and 9:10 at the Landmark Keystone Art Cinema in the Fashion Mall.

**Members of the Indianapolis Museum of Art Affiliate Group Fashion Arts Society will be attending the 7 p.m. show on Friday, and gathering at the theater for pre-show mingling at 6 p.m. Join in on the fun!