Susanne Bartsch

Susanne Bartsch (born 1965) is a Swiss event producer living in the United States whose 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]

Susanne Bartsch
Born1965 (age 57–58)
Bern, Switzerland
OccupationEvent Producer
Spouse
David Barton
​
​
(m. 1995; sep. 2010)​
Children1

Life and career

Born in Switzerland, as a teenager Bartsch left her family and moved to London, where she became an intimate of such celebrities as Jimmy Page and Malcolm McLaren. After moving to New York City in the early 1980s, she opened a clothing boutique in SoHo that gave exposure to new British designers and labels, including Vivienne Westwood, Leigh Bowery, BodyMap, John Galliano, and milliner Stephen Jones.[2] She also helped launch the careers of young American designers Alpana Bawa and Michael Leva, and was a precursor and influence upon the Club Kids.

By the late 1980s, the economy was slowing, and edgy clothing was becoming harder to sell. Bartsch began organizing weekly parties at prominent New York nightclubs, such as Savage, Bentley's, and, finally, the Copacabana. Bartsch created the Love Ball in 1989, which raised $400,000 to fight AIDS.[3] For the first time, elements of Harlem ball culture were introduced to a national audience.

Bartsch took part in philanthropic work, running annual holiday toy drives along with her partner David Barton, whom she married in 1995. The couple had a son Bailey Bartsch Barton, and separated in late 2010.[4]

In 2015, The Museum at FIT mounted an exhibit celebrating Bartsch's costumes.[5]

Filmography

References
  1. Galtney, Smith (28 April 2002). "A Night Out With: Susanne Bartsch; The Celebutantes Return". The New York Times.
  2. "BodyMap – Shaping the 1980s / Personalities / People / V&A Channel". Vam.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  3. HOCHSWENDER, Woody (12 May 1989). "Vogueing Against AIDS: A Quest for 'Overness'". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  4. Murphy, Tim (27 April 2011). "The Man Who Made Working Out Cool". The New York Times.
  5. "Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartsch". Msfabulous.com. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
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