Susanne Bartsch—Queen of New York Nightlife—Talks Her New Book, DIY’ing Clothes, and Where She Stores Her Wigs (2024)

If you’ve ever lived (or partied) in New York City, then you likely already know the name Susanne Bartsch. The legendary Swiss event producer is responsible for throwing some of the most legendary parties in the city. She’s been driving the NYC nightlife scene forward since the 1980s, after all, cultivating safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community to gather and express themselves through style. Now a new book, out today, is delving into Bartsch’s incredible (and glamorous!) life through photos.

Susanne Bartsch Presents: Bartschland: Tales of New York City Nightlife, from Abrams Books, traces some of Bartsch’s best parties and events from the 1980s to the present. “It’s my life in stills, really,” Bartsch tells Vogue. “I wanted to keep it light and explore it through the decades. The main problem was what not to put in the book—there was way too much stuff!” Among the highlights? Tales from the raucous Copacabana, where Bartsch hosted monthly parties in the ’80s, or her recent Love Balls, which aim to raise awareness and support for those living with HIV/AIDS. Bartsch also spotlights some of her closest collaborators over the years, from RuPaul to Amanda Lepore to the new crop of drag superstars such as Aquaria and Gottmik.

In honor of the book’s release, Vogue chatted with Bartsch about how New York City nightlife has changed (put those phones down!), what inspires her glitzy party attire (hint: she DIYs a lot of her looks!), and where she stores all her incredible wigs.

Vogue: What inspired the book?

Susanne Bartsch: To be honest, it wasn’t my idea at all. I don’t really sit and plan—maybe that’s what I should be doing! But I went to the opening of the Fotografiska restaurant right after the pandemic, and I met a publisher at Abrams Books. He said, “I want to do a book with you.” A few days later, I said, “Okay, let’s do it!” I wanted to do a book that includes the variety of [work] I’m involved in. I was very involved in the design of the book too—I wanted a lot of collages and photos.

I love that the book focuses on chosen family and the creatives you’ve worked with over the years. How did that emerge as a main theme?

It’s part of what I do. I meet people, and when I like their work, I help them grow. I don’t like to micromanage them; I like them to come and express themselves however they feel fit. A lot of people have gone on to have big careers, and I gave them a head start. I wanted to show [people] from the early days, people from now, and people who aren’t around anymore. The choosing was very, very hard. There was a lot of history with people who have never gotten any recognition, so some are in there for that reason, or others are in there because they’ve really inspired me. And I still collaborate with many of them. Zaldy, for instance, I still love when he does all my looks. [Editor’s note: Zaldy is the master designer behind many of RuPaul’s looks.]

You’ve been serving looks since the 1980s. How would you say your style has changed over the years?

My look has changed a lot. My signature look is to not have the same look! It used to be more eclectic. Unfortunately, I don’t have many pictures from the old days because nobody had a camera; it was not cool to take pictures. But my looks were more eclectic, and then they became more head to toe. Now, I often dress [according to] my makeup. Some days I’ll have a piece of clothing that I really like and I’ll do the hair and makeup around it. I have no real schedule or organization with it; it just depends, when I see something or how I want to feel that day. I would say I have three looks: There’s my drag drag, which is a cute pair of jeans and a Gaultier top or something. Then I have semi-drag, which would be a Gaultier dress and a wig. Then full drag would be full hair and makeup and a head-to-toe look.

A whole section of the book explores how you often DIY your clothes. How did you learn how to do this?

With the business that I’m in, recycling [is a must]. I can’t have a new dress or look every time I do something; I need to restyle things. I like wearing things in a totally different way so that people don’t even realize that I’m wearing the same thing. I’m not good at acting or signing—I wish I was—but I’m good at styling and putting looks together and mixing them up. I’m very much about the unconventional; I like things when they’re not smooth. When I do my New York shows, I like when something goes wrong; I’m not worried about it. I like the mistakes and the mishaps; they’re part of life, and I like when they’re not hidden. It’s the same with my looks.

Over the years, do you have any favorite party looks that stand out?

I don’t really have a best look. The look I do today will be my best look. But I will say my [1995] wedding look was incredible. David [Barton] and I didn’t want a conventional wedding. I was doing a show called Inspiration at the Manhattan Center, and Playboy was sponsoring it. People could go up onstage and do whatever they wanted for three minutes—designers, hairdressers, photographers. I told David, “Why don’t we just come out at the end and get married?” We didn’t announce it at all. I had 42 bridesmaids; David had Mugler and RuPaul as groomsmen, and I had Polly Mellen, Katie Ford, Ingrid Sischy. Thierry Mugler designed my look. It was a nude bodysuit with a big, egglike veil, and he also made a bridal bouquet on top of my head. I would say that was the pièce de résistance.

Have you had any other favorite designer collaborations over the years?

I love working with Abraham Levy; I’m actually wearing his corset on the book cover. And I still love collaborating with Zaldy. We have it down. I can call him up and say I have an event, and he’ll show up with a look the day before, and it fits perfect. After all these years, he just knows what works and how it will fit. I also used to love working with Mr. Pearl; I’m the first person who bought his corsets. He was in the East Village in a basem*nt. I used to call him Stitch Bitch because he would be sewing all day, all night.

You must have an incredible archive of clothes at this point, and it’s tough to keep an archive in New York! Where do you store everything?

I have this fabulous apartment with four bathrooms, and two of them are closets. In one of them, I took the toilet out and put clothing racks in. Then I have storage underneath my big Chinese bed, and I have storage in Brooklyn. There’s a lot. It’s organized but never enough. I was looking for a mirrored bodysuit the other day, and I had no idea where it was—but I found it eventually. I also have a whole hallway with wigs.

Do you know how many wigs you own at this point?

I’ve lost count. I have boxes and boxes of wigs.

Do you think nightlife style has changed in New York?

People wear what they feel good in now. I love how androgynous it’s become. That’s what I’ve championed from day one—be who you want to be. He, she, they—it doesn’t matter. I’ve always loved drag queens because they just have so much fun with their looks. I love seeing people express themselves. Right now, that’s more important than ever because everything is on a screen—you can do anything the phone. (RuPaul calls it the square.) It’s really important to see each other and feel each other. It’s a beautiful thing when people unite on the dance floor and put the phone down. There’s no rules now. [Most clubs now] don’t have rules like don’t wear sneakers or you can’t wear this shirt—all that BS around dress codes seems to be dying, thank God.

When I think of clubs like Studio 54 or Copacabana, were they really that strict about what you could wear and who got in?

You had to be making an effort. Feathers and sequins—yes, it was very glam. Now people are very creative. They make things themselves. You can go to a club in a ball gown or a pair of jeans—it doesn’t matter. If you feel good in it, it works.

It’s also interesting how the art of drag has pretty much become a mainstream thing.

That’s always what I was aiming for, and RuPaul [and Drag Race] took it to another level. Drag was looked down on—drag queens were seen as cheap. They weren’t respected. When I did the Love Ball AIDS Benefit, I was adamant that every CEO would pay $10,000 for tables and be served by a drag queen. I’ve always had drag queens in my life. I just love how they have fun and how well they do things. We should not have to be one way or the other—we should be able to be who we want to be.

I’m curious how you feel about earning the title of the queen of nightlife now.

I hate it. I just love to unite people! When you say this, I think of all of these people who come to my events and support what I do. These people are the queens of nightlife. They allow me to do what I do. I want to create a space for them to be themselves and be accepted in a safe space.

How do you hope people feel after reading your book? What’s the takeaway?

I hope it inspires people and that they enjoy it—and that they make a movie out of it! But honestly, I have no expectation for it other than to inspire people. It’s nice to see all the things I’ve done. I did a lot of it for myself. It’s nice to see it all in one place. Looking at all the pictures again, it was very moving and emotional. It was a beautiful and rewarding experience.

You must have a busy Pride Month ahead. What can we expect from you?

I do this annual Pride party at the Boom Boom Room and Le Bain [in New York]. I take over the whole 18th floor of The Standard, and I call it Boom. People love it. Boom Boom is very campy and glam, and Le Bain is more heavy and naughty and housey. I also have a book launch party on June 4 at the Boom Boom Room. Then, I have a few other things to do, including events in Toronto and Switzerland. They have Pride events over there too. My big question is: What am I going to wear on the mountains? What have I got other than Vivienne Westwood?

You can wear Vivienne Westwood on the mountains—why not?

I’ll be in the Alps in Westwood, baby.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.