Money, Sex, Fame, Glamour

As documented by the highly camp and gritty film Party Monster (2003) and its shockumentary of the same name, the Club Kids scene of the late 80's and early 90's was a wild, drug-fuelled movement full of excess and fabulousness, led by the charismatic and now imprisoned Michael Alig. Imprisoned, you query? Yes, as extreme living proof of the damaging effects of drugs, Alig and an accomplice repeatedly bashed a dealer over the head with the handle of a hammer afer a heated argument over drug debts, poured Drano down his throat and taped his mouth shut, left him in a bathtub for a week until the stench became unbearable, then dismembered his legs and disposed of the remains in suitcases down the river. He then bragged about it on camera, and everyone believed it was a publicity stunt until the body washed ashore.

Well, I only tell this story because it interests me, but it also gives you a sense of the decadence and downfall of such excess. Nobody wants to glorify horror, but, like Jack the Ripper and the World Wars, this time was a part of history. Where a young gay man decided to turn a bunch of parties into an infamous movement, where cross-dressers were fabulous, night time was the right time, and everyone loved living in the age of the Thing. Money, success, fame and glamour!

It reminds me of the lyrics in Frank Sinatra by Miss Kittin:

To be famous is so nice
Suck my dick, Lick my ass
In limousines we have sex
Every night with my famous friends

Well, I see a revival. Not so naive and carefree, what with sexual diseases, homophobia, smoking laws and the evident devastation of drug misuse pervading throughout modern society. But bright colours, adventurous dressing, themed parties and 90's hedonism is suddenly attractive again. Tackiness has been given a 21st century makeover:

Exhibit A
Style Bubble takes photo of neon-clad girl at London party.

Exhibit B
Underground blog Style Slut waxes lyrical on pop culture.

Exhibit C
Christopher Kane, Spring RTW '07.