With a feather headdress and a strip of tulle, Susanne Bartsch held court at the book party in June for Bartschland: Stories from New York’s nightlifea pictorial account of her life and career that also serves as a who’s who of the city’s stars and starlets. Michael Musto, Amanda Lepore, Joey Arias, Aquaria and other legendary characters from the book gathered in the Standard’s Boom Boom Room to pose for the cameras – and to celebrate Bartsch, who has been the club queen (and queen maker) of the city that never sleeps since she moved into the Chelsea Hotel in 1981. The crowd soon moved on to the party business at Le Bain next door, where Bartsch hosts her popular Tuesday night event On Top.
RuPaul himself wrote the foreword of Bartschlandin which he recounts how the event producer once hired him as a go-go dancer for her famous weekly party, Savage. “When she entered the room, she floated over the crowd like a magical fairy, radiating excitement to everyone in the club,” Charles writes. “When she came to me, her first words were, ‘You’re a pop star.’ I was thrilled and honored that the Queen of the Night had made me exactly what I had come to Manhattan to be.”
Susanne Bartsch and RuPaulDecency
“He’s a huge supporter,” Bartsch says of RuPaul. “He says, ‘I am who I am because of you. You’ve helped me a lot.'” The world’s most famous drag queen had previously written glowingly about Bartsch in his new memoirs. The House of Hidden MeaningsHe is now helping to promote Bartschland through his new bookstore venture, Allstora. Earlier this year, those who bought it there were given access to an exclusive chat between the longtime friends.
Bartsch is known for her influence in fashion—she literally imported British fashion to New York with her former SoHo boutique, helping Vivienne Westwood, Leigh Bowery, John Galliano and other British designers gain popularity on the dance floors and runways of New York City. A 2015 exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Technology featured her own fabulous costumes. But it was as an event producer that she changed the culture. Over four decades, as described in her book, Bartsch created safe spaces and venues for people like LGBTQ+ people who thought, dressed and lived unconventionally.
Bartsch was decades ahead of mainstream society when it came to being a role model for the community. “From the beginning, I was very, very attracted to the LGBTQ community… Honestly, I think the gays have more fun,” she says.
Susanne Bartsch and Amanda LeporeDecency
“I’m not an actress. I’m not a singer. I’m not a real dancer… I don’t have those talents,” she adds. “My talent is expressing myself through looks and creativity – and creating spaces where people feel safe and can express themselves too.”
Bartsch has used her talents as a producer to help the LGBTQ+ community philanthropically. In 1989, she created the Love Ball, which raised $400,000 to fight the AIDS epidemic; the event also helped bring the ballroom community to the public’s attention. Not resting on her laurels, Bartsch is planning another event next year that will showcase emerging designers as an alternative program to the Met Gala. Proceeds will benefit The Center, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization.
Susanne Bartsch in the early 90s with Thierry MuglerDecency
In her youth, Bartsch’s unique sense of style liberated her from a life that might have been conservative in her native Switzerland. “In some ways, my whole life was a reaction against my Swiss heritage,” writes Bartsch, who remembers drawing rainbows on her eyelids with crayons as a teenager in hot pants. She wanted more from life than being a banker’s wife. In the late 1960s, she moved to London, ostensibly to learn English. In reality, she was looking for a creative community. And she found it there. Later, she found a home in New York.
Bartsch appreciates her calling. “Not many people know what they like to do. When you find it, it’s a real gift,” she says. “And if you can then earn a living from it and pay your rent with it, that’s the greatest thing.”
This year, Bartsch returned to Zurich Pride in rainbow regalia, where drag performers dragged her onto the main stage – giving her a platform for a change. “It was just a really nice feeling to be out there with these queens behind me cheering me on and the people up front enjoying the moment,” she says. “It was a wonderful energy.”
The moment was a highlight of her return to Switzerland, which she says has evolved a lot since her youth. “I remember a time when this wasn’t possible in Switzerland, and now people are more open-minded,” says Bartsch, who is opening an exhibition dedicated to her inclusive world of fashion and nightlife at the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich on July 10.
FIT Exhibition 2015Decency
Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Bartsch event without a fashion statement from Bartsch. And the party queen is a master at putting together an unforgettable ensemble. “My first rule when planning an outfit is that I have no rules. And my whole style is that I have no look,” reveals Bartsch – although she prefers wigs. Bartsch estimates that “a complete look” takes two to three hours, while a “medium” look can take 90 minutes.
What is her sense of style? Fearlessness. “I dress for myself. Really,” she says. “And I’m not afraid of anything… I’m going to look the way I’m going to look because I’m comfortable in it.”
And she has some advice for other outsiders who may be afraid to speak out: “We have to be afraid. It protects us as people. But at the same time, we must not allow it to dictate our lives.” Need more inspiration? “Buy my book.”
MATTHEW ANDERSON
Find Bartschland: Stories from New York’s nightlife on Amazon or Allstora. To learn more about Bartsch, stream her documentary Susanne Bartsch: On Top on Prime Video or WOW Presents Plus.
This article is part of Out of‘s September/October issue, which hits newsstands August 28. Support queer media and subscribe—or download the issue via Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting August 13.
