Susanne Bartsch
| Susanne Bartsch | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Susanne Bartsch Bäretswil, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Event Producer |
Susanne Bartsch is an event producer whose outlandish over-the-top monthly parties at the Copacabana in the late 1980s united the haute and demi-monde and made her an icon of New York nightlife. "Ms. Bartsch's name," according to The New York Times, is "the night life equivalent of a couture label, thanks to the numerous extravaganzas she staged in cities from Montreal to Miami." [1]
Born in Switzerland, Bartsch left her family at the age of 17 and moved to London, where she became an intimate of such celebrities as Jimmy Page, Malcolm McLaren and many others. Moving to New York City in 1981, she opened a clothing boutique in SoHo that provided early exposure for British designers, including Vivienne Westwood, BodyMap, John Galliano, and milliner Stephen Jones.[2] She also helped launch the careers of young American designers Alpana Bawa and Michael Leva. By the late 1980s the economy was slowing and, with retail sales for edgy clothing increasingly difficult, Bartsch began organizing weekly parties at Savage, Bentley's and finally the Copacabana. Bartsch created the "Love Ball" in 1989 and raised 2.5 million dollars to fight AIDS. For the first time, dance/vogueing/presentation and Houses inspired by drag balls in Harlem were introduced to a national audience. Never ending in her philanthropic work, Bartsch continued to give back by annually producing toy drives during the holiday season along with partner David Barton. She married Barton, who is 13 years younger, in a lavish 1995 wedding; though the marriage was surprisingly strong, they separated in late 2010.[3]
With the new millennium came a reinvigorated energy for Susanne Bartsch. You can find her drawing hipsters to dandies to drag queens everywhere at Happy Valley, Kino, BonBon at Juliet, Vandam at Greenhouse, the Royalton Hotel and so on. Presently, Ms. Bartsch has started a new monthly event, Bloody Mary at Good Units in the Hudson Hotel and continues to showcase New York City's leading artists and performers.[4] She currently is holding her Tuesday night party at The Standard Hotel as well as Sundays nights at Vandam.
Notes
- ↑ Galtney, Smith (April 28, 2002). "A NIGHT OUT WITH: Susanne Bartsch; The Celebutantes Return". The New York Times.
- ↑ "BodyMap - Shaping the 1980s / Personalities / People / V&A Channel". Vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
- ↑ Murphy, Tim (April 27, 2011). "The Man Who Made Working Out Cool". The New York Times.
- ↑ Harvey, Matt (December 15, 2008). "Move Over, Kids! Original Club Mama Susanne Bartsch Has Still Got It". New York Observer.