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NEW LONDON,  NEW YORK VOGUE UK

A resourceful entrepreneur, Susanne Bartsch opened her first Soho boutique in september 1981,  and when,  in April 1983,  she felt its size restricted her scope, she instigated seasonal fashion shows for her them unknown, exclusively British,  protégés. Talent scouts were astonished when they discovered that her shop´s madcap range of wares was exported from London,  and hurried home to check them out, alerting friends and colleagues to this under-exposed crop of new designers. This winter,  Susanne is representing almost twenty collections in the USA, among them Rachel Auburn, Sue Clowes, Leigh Bowery and Annie LaPaz.  She has plans  to transfer the show to Los Angeles, Japan and to move to West Broadway,  where greater space will enable her to combine retail and wholesale under one roof. A far cry from her original concept of a tiny Amglophile accessory shop,  although her choice of decorator and set-designer,  Michael Kostiff,  remains the same. Susanne originally lived and worked in England.  ´When I moved to New York I realised just how much I missed street fashion.  I couldn´t replace it,  and so I decided to import it´ her appearance, life-style and ambitions are all characteristically flamboyant.  ´I can always do with more space.  Ideally, I would like to manufacture over here and then give all my young clients their own individual shows.  The more we grow, the better it is from them´  Andy ultimately ? ´kets say they´ll be worth a retrospective at the Metropolitan - I´d adore that...`                                                                                         TEXT BY CAROLINE KELLET  -  PICS BY SCOTT HEISER

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