Susanne Bartsch has made a career out of turning nightlife into an art form. A curator of chaos, a patron saint of spectacle, and a steadfast champion of self-expression, she’s spent decades turning parties into performance art and style into subversion. Now, the Swiss-born impresaria is returning to her roots.

In a rare full-circle moment, Bartsch is the subject of a major fashion exhibition in Switzerland, her homeland, where the glamorously eccentric world she created is now being honored in museum-worthy detail. Titled Transformation!, the exhibit opened in June at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich (Zurich Museum of Design), showcasing more than 40 years of fashion, performance, and cultural provocation.

Structured like a night out in six acts—“Welcome!”, “Hair and Make-up,” “Getting Ready,” “Queuing,” “The Club,” and “Lounge”—it offers an immersive look into Bartsch’s life, legacy, and influence across fashion, queerness, and performance. More than 35 of her most iconic looks are on display, alongside archival videos, rare photographs, and behind-the-scenes ephemera from over four decades of unapologetic self-expression. Outfits from designers like Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, The Blonds, and Zaldy are displayed as if frozen mid-party, brimming with feathers, rhinestones, latex, and irreverent energy. 

“It’s very surreal to be sitting here and to keep hearing my name,” she told V Magazine after the museum’s introductory remarks, where she wore a sculptural emerald number from The Blonds. “I actually prefer to be backstage, but somehow here I managed to be the centerpiece. I’m very moved—it’s really amazing to come home to Switzerland and to have this kind of celebration of my world.”

Born in Switzerland, Bartsch left home at 17 for the underground scenes of London before moving to New York, where she became synonymous with the city’s downtown nightlife in the 1980s and ’90s. Her parties were more than just events—they were radical celebrations of freedom, flamboyance, and identity, bringing together club kids, drag legends, fashion designers, and artists from across the spectrum of gender and expression.

Bartsch’s influence extends far beyond the dance floor. She’s credited with elevating club culture into a platform for fashion and social activism, most famously through her 1989 Love Ball, which brought the fashion industry together to raise funds for HIV/AIDS awareness. That ethos of visibility, community, and support continues through her work today—and is on full display throughout the Transformation! exhibit.

Visitors begin their journey through the show with a life-sized video greeting from Bartsch herself, setting the tone for an experience that is both glamorous and deeply personal. Each chapter of the exhibit offers a glimpse into a different facet of her world: the ritual of getting ready, the camaraderie of the queue, the theatricality of the club, and the intimacy of the post-party come-down.

The show also highlights many of Bartsch’s long-time collaborators—costume designers, makeup artists, and performers—who helped build the ever-evolving visual vocabulary of “Bartschland.” Installations evoke the vibrant, chaotic energy of her most iconic events, while the final lounge space provides a moment of reflection with video montages of milestone moments, including her tributes to ballroom culture and selections from her 2015 exhibition at the Museum at FIT.

“This exhibition is not just about clothes—it’s about celebrating individuality, creativity, and community,” Bartsch said. “It’s such an honor and I’m thrilled to bring my world back to Switzerland, where my journey began.”

Susanne Bartsch —Transformation! is available for viewing at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich through December 7.