CUNNINGHAM, BILL

(c. 1930- )

   Cunningham began his career as a milliner but photographed his first fashion show in 1947. It is said that fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez gave Cunningham his first camera. Photography serves as the venue for Cunningham to document fashion. In the world of fashion, he is well respected for his clear and direct means of capturing and recording its history. Cunningham is a very private person and does not grant interviews. His photographs of fashion for the New York Times illustrate the everyday adaptation of fashion by the rich, the famous, and the ordinary. His many years as a photographer at Women's Wear Daily (WWD), as well as his runway archives, have made Cunningham one of the most famous fashion photojournalists alive today.

   See also Fashion journalism; Fashion photographer.