Oh, Susanne!

usanne Bartsch—the deliriously energized Swiss-born scene queen and great equalizer of New York clubland—screams "Daaaarling" and thousands swarm around her like dazzling gnats of the night at her Copacabana fetes, wholesome exercises in decadence that are more Barnum & Bailey than Sodom and Gomorrah. In 1989, Bartsch reigned over the Love Ball, a starstudded voguing extravaganza that netted $385,000 to care for AIDS patients. Love Ball II: The Crowning Glory

looks to be even more glittering, with enough trendy names to make up a veritable Who's Who of hoo-ha. Corporate sponsors will enter a costume contest with categories including cross-dressing ("God Save the Queen") and ultimate fantasy or nightmare ("Delusions of Grandeur") and win crowns designed by Michael Graves. Other crowns by the likes of Cindy Sherman, Paloma Picasso, and Francesco Clemente will be auctioned off at Barneys New York on June 5. "We're doing this because we care," reminds Bartsch, "not because we're trying to glamorize our lives."

M.M.