Instagram Remembers Bill Cunningham

There was an odd twist in the Instagram tributes to Bill Cunningham, for social media was not his realm. The real-life streets of New York were.

But for the fashion community, and for visual artists around the world, Instagram is home base, so it was an ideal place to pay homage to the legendary photographer who died on June 25 at 87.

Amid a sea of images depicting blue workman’s coats (Mr. Cunningham’s signature uniform), here are a handful of creative tributes.

“Sometimes, walking around New York, a flash of blue would whiz by on wheels, and you’d squeeze your friend’s arm and squeal, ‘Look, it’s Bill Cunningham!’”

“I recreated Bill’s iconic outfit on my dog, Bodhi, a few months after I met him and always secretly hoped that I could send it to him with a note telling him how much he inspired me to keep photographing.”

“He did look like a person who wasn’t interested in selfies, or having his photograph taken. I tried to capture both who he was as a person and also how different the world is going to be, I guess the sartorial world in a sense, in his absence.”

“Even if you didn’t know Bill, you think, ‘Oh, he was that guy with the blue jacket.’ He just ‘iconified’ that idea of how you become known for something without trying to become known for it.”

“I revere how he lived his life on his own terms, his modesty, his methodologies and complete commitment to his work. His camera and blue jacket are national treasures.”

“He went out on the street and saw something special in anyone. I think that’s what I try to do.”

“He didn’t just take pictures of nice celebrities. He took pictures of real people, and that’s what always spoke to me.”
