Susan "Alexandra" Korn Threw Herself A Second Bat Mitzvah, 20 Years Later
Last fall Susan Korn was planning her sophomore New York Fashion Week presentation for her line, Susan Alexandra. Her first show had been at New York’s Baz Bagel & Restaurant — where her beaded bags were served in lieu of traditional deli fare — and this time Korn wanted to host an even more over-the-top affair. “I decided I was going to do a ‘fashion bat mitzvah.’ This time I’d get to have the party I really wanted,” she tells me of the soiree she threw on the 17th floor of the Public Hotel. “But really I just wanted to have a celebration of Jewish culture in the middle of fashion week.”
The 34-year-old first launched her line of exuberant beaded accessories in 2017 and quickly amassed a cool girl following, with everyone from Gigi Hadid to Suri Cruise wearing her goods. And her bat mitzvah fashion show was similarly filled with New York “it girls.” Beneath a pink balloon tunnel the all-lesbian Klezmer band, the Klezbos jammed. New Yorker writer Naomi Fry and comedian Catherine Cohen served as models, wearing Korn’s bags on their heads. Guests noshed on pizzas adorned with Stars of David made of cheese while actor Benny Drama outfitted himself in a pink butterfly dress. And later Jewish activist Adam Eli played rabbi as the crowd danced the Horah. Yet despite the event’s massive success, Korn was still plagued by the same nerves she felt during her actual bat mitzvah. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, are people having a good time? Do they like what I'm doing,’” she says. “Those emotions never go away.”
But in the end Korn was able to revel in the event, enjoying it even more than her original bat mitzvah. “If my 13-year-old self had seen it, she wouldn't have believed it,” Korn says. “I’d tell her, ‘Just wait. One day, you'll be living your dream in New York City and you’re going to have your bat mitzvah all over again. And it’s going to be everything you would have ever dreamed of.’"
Below, Korn reflects on her first bat mitzvah — Dolce & Gabbana themed table and Jewish rappers included.
On executing her “Passion for Fashion” theme:
I'm from Columbus, Ohio where fashion is a foreign language, but my theme was “Passion for Fashion.” Each table had a different designer's name on it from Donna Karan, to Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, and Gucci. (Very of the time designers.)
My favorite film at the time was Isaac Mizrahi’s documentary, Unzipped. So for my bat mitzvah video we spliced scenes from this high fashion, New York doc together with baby pictures of me. Isn’t that insane?
On having her bat mitzvah on the same day as a popular boy:
On the same day as my bat mitzvah, this really popular guy also had his. He was a 12-year-old Jewish rapper and all the cool kids went to his party, along with most of the boys in my grade. I think I might be scarred for life from it. I think some kids’ parents forced them to go to mine because they were like, "You have to go to Susan's because she's a family friend.”
This is also the first time in your life that you're learning how to navigate relations with boys. So I remember thinking "Why would any boys want to come to mine?" It was all the bad feelings that you could imagine. I felt so thoroughly uncool.
On her classic black party dress:
For the service I wore a very tasteful black suit with a cornflower blue silky tee, and a chunky heel with tights. Then for the party I was going for this very classic, Audrey Hepburn look. My dress was this stretchy, spandex-y, slinky material. Then I remember I wore my hair in a bun and my aunt put flowers in my hair.
I chose black because my mom kept telling me, "A classic black dress will never go out of style and will look best for the pictures." And she was right, I don't cringe looking at pictures from my bar mitzvah because I went the classic route. But now I love terrible fashion. I prefer it to tasteful fashion.
On hating everything in her closet:
I was already interested in clothing and fashion, so [the bar mitzvah circuit] was a really big opportunity for me to show off my style and experiment with it. But I don't remember pleasant feelings around that. I remember never feeling like I had the coolest outfit and wishing I had whatever the other girls were wearing. I remember wanting to wear something completely different for each event, but that wasn't really a possibility. My parents weren't just taking me shopping all the time. You know that feeling that we all have where it’s like, “I hate everything in my closet? I have nothing to wear." I think that's the first time those feelings really surfaced for me.
On what she wishes she could tell her 13-year-old self:
I wish I could be the person I am now and stand next to my 13-year-old self and be like, "Fuck the rapper. It doesn't matter who's [at your party], you are so special.” I wish I could be there giving myself a pep talk like, "Don't let what other people are doing cloud what's happening in your life." I wish I could've known that so much doesn't matter, even though at the moment it really feels like it does.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Great story!!!!!
Another great story.....