We have a certain fascination with '90s club kids. Many think the scene disbanded with the demise of Michael Alig, but there is a current club kid scene thriving thanks to nightlife figures like our friend Susanne Bartsch. We wanted to see some of the present-day characters, so we asked Rify Royalty—the fabulous host of our weekly Drag Race screening and Miss Girl party at The Standard, East Village—to take us out to one of his club kid party haunts, Magic by Frankie Sharp at Magic Hour Rooftop. Photographer Mateus Porto gives us a glimpse, paired with quotes from Rify.
"Being a club kid in 2018 can be taking your looks and skills outside of the clubs and into other projects. Club kids and drag queens are everywhere these days. 'SNL,' advertisements, etc. I've been shot for 'Vogue Italia' alongside other club kids."
"It's different from the '90s scene because we have social media. Club kids now document all their looks. If you live somewhere where there's not a club scene, you can see a glimpse of what we're doing."
"The aesthetic of the club kid scene is fashion forward, mixing the runway and the club scene together."
"It gives me a sense of community."
