On This Day In Fashion: Who is Susanne Bartsch? A Look Back at the Early Days of her Fabulousness →

Party promoter, downtown club diva, partygiver extraordinaire, penultimate hostess, the Swiss Miss, club czarina, celebutante, empress of the night—many lofty labels have been assigned to Susanne Bartsch, New York’s best-known and longest-reigning … pick one of the above. And it was on this day in 1981 that Bartsch first made headlines in the U.S. under the modest label of “shop owner” when she opened Susanne Bartsch, her groundbreaking clothing boutique on SoHo’s Thompson Street.

Described as a 29-year-old Swiss-born antiques dealer who had recently arrived from London, Bartsch filled a niche no one knew was missing until her goods arrived from Europe. With a fascinating collection of designs from under-the-radar avant-garde British designers, the New York Times mused that “there is really nothing quite like it around.” ...

Grub Street: David Barton and Susanne Bartsch: He Says Hot Dogs; She Says Organic Turkey Sausages →

"David is a great person to feed," nightlife doyenne and anti-housewife Susanne Bartsch says of her husband, gym owner David Barton. That's because Barton will eat anything, or so he claims: "Eating is a means to an end. I don't care what it tastes like. If you gave it to me in a pill, I'd be fine." Really? When the pair recalled their meals over the last week, fetishes like tuna imported by the caseload and corn-on-the-cob gelato were revealed ...

NYMag: Happy Days →

Eighties party icon Susanne Bartsch returns to save nightlife from bottle service and Paris Hilton ...

The New York Times: A NIGHT OUT WITH: Susanne Bartsch; The Celebutantes Return →

SHE exited the elevator in the Chelsea Hotel wearing a feathered wig, torn tights and high heels. Her small entourage included an assistant, a baby sitter's brother and a couple of friends. Her husband was upstairs, putting their 8-year-old son to bed. ''He saw me and said, 'Mom, you look like a freak,' '' she said while hailing two cabs on West 23rd Street. ''He's probably going to be an accountant.''

So began opening night last Wednesday for Susanne Bartsch's first weekly party to hit New York in more than 14 years. Ms. Bartsch's name was once the night life equivalent of a couture label, thanks to the numerous extravaganzas she staged in cities from Montreal to Miami. But aside from seasonal soirees for Halloween and Valentine's Day, she has been noticeably absent from the downtown scene for nearly 10 years ...

The New York Times: The Cutting Edge: In Need of a Whetstone →

The way to write about a Susanne Bartsch spectacle, taking a cue from the hundreds of articles about Susanne Bartsch spectacles past, is to highlight the most outrageous moment, not only to titillate the curiosity of the readers but also to make them feel square, puritanical, dull by comparison.

Ms. Bartsch's runway shows have long served as a showcase for the outrageous avant-garde. Her event at the Manhattan Center on Tuesday night, titled "Inspiration '95," was dedicated to visual expression on the catwalk, without commercial restraint ...

The New York Times: CRONICLES →

Since fashion shows traditionally end with a model coming down the runway dressed as a bride, the 1,500 people in the audience of "Inspiration '95," a group show at the Manhattan Center on Tuesday evening, had no idea they were about to witness a real ceremony.

Then, SUSANNE BARTSCH, the downtown party promoter, and DAVID BARTON, the gym entrepreneur, appeared and took their vows before the Rev. ZACHARY JONES of the Unity Fellowship in Brooklyn.

"We didn't want a traditional wedding per se," said Ms. Bartsch,, who is seldom described as traditional. "After all, we've been living together for three years and have a 14-month-old baby. But neither did we want to go to a registry office. I decided that every runway show has a bride, so why don't I just run out there and get someone who can make it legal. I didn't tell anyone." ...

The New York Times: Patterns →

With half the city in drag, it was probably only appropriate that Mr. Armani followed his show with a party at the Rolling Stone disco put on by Susanne Bartsch, the New York nightclub diva, who brought along a couple of dozen female impersonators.

Joey Arias did his uncanny rendition of Billie Holliday, complete with gardenias in his hair. Nicky Ferrer performed his Patti LaBelle act, and Lypsinka, the campy chanteuse, assassinated the classic tune "Tea for Two." When it was over, the performers rushed to Mr. Armani's table and planted kisses on him, leaving the designer's face a scarlet mess ...

The New York Times: ECLECTIC DESIGN DISTINGUISHES A NEW SOHO SHOP →

From the street, the SoHo building looks like a cross between a fairy tale castle and a medieval church preserved behind glass. Mosaic-covered spires rise above a Gothic wood and iron gate. Only the loosely scripted signature ''Susanne Bartsch'' on the glass window indicates that the facade might be the entrance to a retail shop.

The unusual space is a recently opened clothing store at 456A West Broadway, between Houston and Prince Streets. It was designed by Michael Kostiff, a young English photographer and film maker, for Susanne Bartsch - an innovative retailer of avant-garde English fashion who is known around town as the ''Swiss Miss.'' ...