Bill Cunningham Thinks Celebrities Are Ruining the Fashion Industry

Legendary street style photographer Bill Cunningham spoke with Fern Mallis as part of her "Fashion Icon" series and dropped bombs on the current and future state of the fashion industry last night, Fashionista reports.

The mass-commercialization of fashion and the way celebrities have affected the industry was a huge sore spot for Cunningham. "Stupid red carpet," he said, according to Fashionista. "The fashion world killed itself by lending the clothes, and giving them, and then paying the celebrities to wear them!" He also spoke out against all the attention that is devoted to celebrities at fashion shows. "People should take very seriously the fact that you're being invited to view the work of artists," he said. "You think I'm going there to discuss someone's sex life?"

Cunningham, still dressed in his iconic blue chore jacket, says that technology is moving fashion in a new, simpler direction. "I think the fashion world needs to come to grips with reality," he said. He believes people are more concerned with what's going on with their phones than with their outfits. "Simple clothes, that's key, and I think that's what the fashion world should really think about."

You can read more about Cunningham's talk here.