Susanne Bartsch
Susanne Bartsch is a New York City nightlife and fashion icon who’s elaborate and eccentric events have been legendary for decades.
Coat by Geoffrey Mac
Shoes by Model’s Own
What was the driving force that led you to move to New York in the 80s? What were your first years living in the U.S. like?
I came to New York for a very glamourous romantic transcontinental Valentine’s Day date as I was involved in a mad passionate affair with the artist Patrick Hughes, who incidentally occupied a portion of the apartment I now live in. I came following love, but my overpowering love was the city itself. It eclipsed and out lasted my amorous relations with the man who brought me here initially.
My first few years were charmed. I found myself the epicenter of the new Soho fashion art scene. I produced my first big event and garnered lots of wonderful attention for the designers I brought over. It was generally magical; challenging, yes, there were months that I thought I'd have to close up shop because I couldn't pay the rent, but something always worked out. I followed my Bliss and my Heart and worked hard and hoped for the best.
Tell us about what your experience living in the Chelsea Hotel? How did you end up living there? What is your fondest memory of it?
When I first moved to the Chelsea Hotel, I occupied only a part of what I do now. As the years went by, adjacent units became available. My family and business were growing and so I took the rooms. The room where my son slept growing up is now sort of my office. It used to belong to Janis Joplin. It was nice because Zaldy and I really had a close partnership for years. While he lived in the building it was great having my main fashion designer so close when we were creating new looks for parties and events.
I thank my lucky stars that I’m still there. Chelsea is definitely home to me. I raised my child there. I grew up there, struggled, succeeded, lived, and loved there. It is hard to identify my fondest memory of living in the Chelsea. Trying to winnow down decades of life and memories of multitudes of experiences with art-making brilliant people friends and neighbors coming and going is hard to do, and then to pick one moment. It’s the little things IN THE MOMENT there I try to revel in daily and be grateful for.
Both by Dope Tavio for Patricia Field ARTFASHION
Shoes by Altura Siete at Flying Solo
How has your cultural upbringing in Europe influenced your fashion sensibilities today? What has been your favorite fashion moment during the time you’ve lived in New York?
Even though I tried to get the hell away from the prescribed existence growing up in Switzerland at a young age, the Swiss work ethic is in my DNA. I have a perfectionist streak in me, and the devil is in the details as the saying goes.
From Bows to Hose I consider each styling element of a look carefully and really enjoy thinking about this part of my creative process expressing myself through fashion and looks.
I moved to London at a very formative stage during a very culturally rich and important time in the city’s aesthetic history. I was extremely influenced by the British sense of camp, eccentricity, elements of mix and match, high/low up market /down.
In terms of fashion moments because fashion always changes, I don’t have a favorite fashion moment because every moment is a new moment in fashion and that's what is exciting. It's all really six-of-one, half dozen of the other. At the end of the day there are some more colorful looks have hit the runway that awaken the festive mood but there are also some things to be said about the thought process and intelligence that drives darker cerebral, shall we say deconstructed looks, rather than full outer space Disco fun wear. So, all of it is interesting to me.
My favorite moment was my first fashion show, "New London in New York," that I staged in New York at the Roxy, and I introduced Leigh Bowery among many others. The show was an absolute raging success with electricity in the air and my first taste of the showbiz/event/fashion spectacle bug that really bit me and infected me with the desire to create gorgeous sensations in places with smiling happy sexy dancing people for the rest of my life and as a career.
What is most important to you when planning an event? How do you create spaces that are inclusive towards everyone?
For me, the most important and deciding factor of any event, how it goes and how I designed it, is the space itself. This informs so much about my event vision: creating spaces that are inclusive for everyone is really just about a state of mind. I think I do it by mental osmosis. It's not like I post a sign at the door stating that all are welcome, but when the hostess is inclusive, permissive, and lets people be themselves and free themselves she's setting the tone of the party. Since it's a state of being that people are dying to be anyway (FREE!!) it's not hard to convince them to get into the swing of things.
Both by Geoffrey Mac
Shoes by Model’s Own
How did the Love Ball materialize? How has the mission behind it influenced the event itself? What is your favorite Love Ball memory?
The Love Ball was in response to me feeling totally helpless due to the fact that all of my friends and acquaintances were dropping like flies from AIDS. I could either sit back and feel like I was just living at the mercy of a cruel fate and watch everyone suffer and die or I could try to work through the anxiety and fear and grief by doing whatever I could to improve the situation and help the world and help my friends and help me in the process. I was really helping myself by helping other people, which is usually the best way to help yourself by giving and being in service. I threw myself Body and Soul wholeheartedly into the Love Ball, and we made a lot of money to fight HIV and AIDS. A lot of the people who were dying were from the ball community. The ritualistic performative presentation of class and gender identity was exciting for me and a lot of people so for the Love Ball I got the corporate fashion movers and shakers on board, to present a show in the vocabulary and style of the community that was being affected as a kind of homage and tribute and an ultimate illumination of a brilliant form of art and voguing that came from a marginalized culture.
What is your go-to outfit that makes you feel good whenever you wear it?
I have lots of go-to outfits to make me feel good depending on whether I'm doing full-drag, day-drag, or semi-drag. I love a wig or hair piece & heels, but off the top of my head, I have a Jean Paul Gaultier dress long with a cowl neck and lots of faces printed on it that I often find myself wearing to daytime business meetings I feel sexy, stylish, easy comfortable--all the things you want to feel when you're trying to pitch ideas and start new adventures with potential clients.
Left:
Jacket by Geoffrey Mac
Tights by Stylist Own
Shoes by Altura Siete at Flying Solo
Right:
Jacket by Dope Tavio for Patricia Field ARTFASHION
Necklace by Lucille Reynolds at The Confessional Showroom
What has your biggest lesson been in 2020? How has the pandemic and isolation changed you?
The biggest lesson is that it's been a hard year for everyone, but I'd say not to take anything for granted and on the flip side not to give up day-by-day. Some days are harder than others, some are more hopeful. I found myself like everyone at times this year lonely, but I've also made some really wonderful friends I didn't expect to make. I became close with a neighbor I've lived in the same building with for years and while we've always been friendly and cordial our reliance on one another during the pandemic has really opened up a whole new wonderful chapter of our friendship.
On isolation, despite social distancing requirements, have you found ways to keep connecting with your community during this time? How have your relationships changed and deepened during this time?
I've actually had a ball doing the Zoom parties and am surprised and encouraged by all the fabulous feedback I got from them. I've always been told I should be on that square, meaning in the virtual world. I found a way to communicate on Zoom via Microphone to all my audience at once. I raised 32k for Black Lives Matter and 9K for the Aliforney Center, via ticket sales I also was able to pay performers and support my community and do looks.
I tend to try to avoid platitudes and quite honestly it has been very rough for me at times this year. It definitely remains hard, and I think it will be hard until we really sort out what's going on.
That being said, as a "Community Leader" with a couple of years of survival experience under my belt, I have to pull my own spirits up by my bootstraps, look in the mirror some days and say "YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS. THIS TOO SHALL PASS. It will get better. What doesn't kill you makes you STRONGER.” And I have to say this until I believe it and maybe repeating it here will help someone else. I hope it can!
Left:
Dress by Dope Tavio for Patricia Field ARTFASHION
Shoes by Altura Siete at Flying Solo
Right:
Top by Dope Tavio
Tights by Stylist Own
What’s the first thing you’re going to do once we are allowed to gather in large groups again? How will you celebrate?
Three words: DANCE, DANCE, DANCE! See you on the dance floor.
Tell us your life motto.
Follow your heart, and as my mother said, you have to play the game to get anything out of it, meaning if you want your life to have meaning, joy, success, love, happiness, fulfillment, you need to get in there and ENGAGE WITH IT. And really what’s better than an ENGAGEMENT PARTY? Romantic, sexy, and future forward looking. Here’s to a better 2021.
Can you link us to your socials?
Instagram: @bartschland
TikTok: @bartschland
Website: www.susannebartsch.com
CREW CREDITS:
Creative Director, Photographer & Producer: Mike Ruiz
Talent: Susanne Bartsch
Fashion Stylist: Alison Hernon at Agency Gerard Artists
Hair: Francis Rodriguez
Makeup: Deney Adam
Videographer: Mike Vernazza
Tearsheets: Caitriona Moran, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview: Kristen Wong, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Studio: YourSpaceNJ
