Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartsch by Valerie Steele
A lavishly illustrated tribute to one of the most remarkable self-invented personalities on the New York fashion scene
Susanne Bartsch has been the queen of New York City nightlife since the 1980s when she first became famous for spectacular parties, where a diverse crowd brought fashion to the level of performance art. Her most important party was undoubtedly the 1989 Love Ball, a pioneering AIDS benefit that brought the fashion world together. The Love Ball was followed by other parties, which ultimately raised more than $2.5 million for AIDS research and advocacy. Over the years, Bartsch has had a profound impact on the world of fashion and visual culture. She has been a retailer, a fashion show organizer, a muse, and a catalyst. As Holly Brubach wrote in her 1991 New Yorker profile, If there is a theme that runs through the various jobs Bartsch has held, it is perhaps a fascination with the way people present themselveswith the clothes and the part they play in peoples imagination.
Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartschfeatures approximately 80 looks from Bartschs personal collection of clothing and accessories, including designs by Rachel Auburn, Body Map, Leigh Bowery, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, Mr. Pearl, Vivienne Westwood, Zaldy, and many others. Dazzling color photographs allow readers to witness the incredible art of transformation.
Published in association with The Fashion Institute of Technology
Susanne Bartsch has been the queen of New York City nightlife since the 1980s when she first became famous for spectacular parties, where a diverse crowd brought fashion to the level of performance art. Her most important party was undoubtedly the 1989 Love Ball, a pioneering AIDS benefit that brought the fashion world together. The Love Ball was followed by other parties, which ultimately raised more than $2.5 million for AIDS research and advocacy. Over the years, Bartsch has had a profound impact on the world of fashion and visual culture. She has been a retailer, a fashion show organizer, a muse, and a catalyst. As Holly Brubach wrote in her 1991 New Yorker profile, If there is a theme that runs through the various jobs Bartsch has held, it is perhaps a fascination with the way people present themselveswith the clothes and the part they play in peoples imagination.
Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartschfeatures approximately 80 looks from Bartschs personal collection of clothing and accessories, including designs by Rachel Auburn, Body Map, Leigh Bowery, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, Mr. Pearl, Vivienne Westwood, Zaldy, and many others. Dazzling color photographs allow readers to witness the incredible art of transformation.
Published in association with The Fashion Institute of Technology
Exhibition Schedule:
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
(September 2015December 2015)