“We all get dressed for Bill,” US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour kindly declared in the 2010 documentary about New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham, who passed away on Saturday aged 87. It was a gracious tribute to a man who had already been declared a living landmark by his hometown New York and awarded the Legion of Honour by the French government, but it was slightly wide of the mark.

Mr Cunningham didn’t want people to dress for him or even notice him crouching with his 35 millimetre camera or cycling through midtown Manhattan. The patrician figure seemed too busy focusing on his own epiphanies about emerging trends, subcultural styles and aesthetic whimsies, to be deliberately distracted by relentless peacocking.

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Patrick Demarchelier snapped Cunningham snapping Carolyn Murphy for Harper’s BAZAAR in 2002

In an industry which now seems like a giant nightclub where everyone is allowed in and those who make the most noise are given all areas access beyond the velvet rope (Hello Kanye), Mr Cunningham was focused solely on fashion rather than fame and self-promotion. It is a testament to his incredible talent and influence that despite his best attempts to stay in the shadows wearing his signature blue dustman’s coat, he became a celebrated moderator of taste who refused to be swayed by a goody bag, or even a free meal at the many black tie galas he attended.

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The promo poster for multi award-wining 2010 documentary Bill Cunningham New York featured some of the photographer’s iconic (and completely unstaged) street style snaps, which were published as part of a weekly column in the NY Times

The loss of Mr Cunningham is upsetting to those who not only looked to his New York Times pages for insights and amusement but to the people who were reassured by his calm presence and simple smile. A trip to New York without spotting him, camera in hand, delighting in the bold and bright suit of a Harlem matron or appraising a social X-Ray strutting her stuff outside Tiffany & Co., would be like not seeing the Statue of Liberty or visiting Bergdoorfs. His absence at the European shows will be felt just as deeply as Mr Cunningham’s considered viewpoint will be replaced by the bloggers, putting themselves in the frame, that have risen to prominence in the latter part of his almost 40 years with the Times.

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Still working at age 86 in the same uniform of blue dustcoat (which he reportedly loved for its deep pockets) and beige pants at the Chanel Spring/Summer 2015 runway show
Credit: Getty Images

The new guard has flooded Instagram and their blogs with tributes to Mr Cunningham but the digital world was not his domain, although his videos and photographs were wildly popular on the newspaper’s website. Print brought his photographs to life with Mr Cunningham’s considered grouping of of the dominant relationships in fashion. These were not filtered photographs, or airbrushed entertainment but images rich in their rawness that celebrated the way people really wear clothes. 

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Bill owned more than 30 bicycles throughout his career. When one was stolen or damaged, he simply bought another
Courtesy: Bill Cunningham New York (film)

When I interviewed Richard Press, the director of the documentary Bill Cunningham New York, he spoke of his subject with such respect and awe. That same respect is present in the film which depicts a solitary man guided by a strict moral code – a sad figure who chose to stand slightly outside the world’s expectations.

I sincerely hope he knew how much his talent was appreciated and admired. Now that he has gone it is the perfect time to follow Anna Wintour’s advice. Just as you should always dance as though no one’s watching, tomorrow you should dress for Bill Cunningham, without the expectation of being photographed but for the simple joy of fashion.

Watch the trailer for the magnificent Bill Cunningham New York documentary…