Kenny Kenny

By an accident of birth, I was born in a small and lonely town in Ireland called Cootehill. To say that this place had an impact on my life is putting it mildly. I felt like an alien - a being from another planet. I learned first hand how base and crude human nature can be. This experience propelled me into a search for the higher, more enlightened human qualities and for my own evolution. At the time, I needed a quick way out of the circumstances of my early life and art education was the solution. I studied fashion and textile design at Dublin National College of Art and Design. It became apparent that I was more interested in dressing myself than others, which prompted the head of the department to say that I was more suited to experimentation than actual fashion design. For me that was a complement. I found myself at odds with authority - in the school system and society at large, but nonetheless managed to graduate with honors. After graduation, I took a boat across the Irish Sea and a train to Victoria station in London. I had taken this trip many times before, but this time was for good. My next home was in New Cross, a dreary and uninteresting part of Southwest London. I soon realized London could be even more dangerous than Dublin for a big queen like my self. Long black coats to the floor were an essential part of any queen's wardrobe. They were a survival necessity when taking the tube between New Cross and London. If people on the tube had seen me in my skimpy "Body Map" creations, I would certainly have been attacked. Even with our protective outer clothing, there were still many times that we came near death being chased through the London trains on our way to Taboo, Mud Club, Heaven, and all of the other nocturnal experiences that London had to offer.



I began to hound Rachael Auburn, the designer and owner of a shop named "Spend, Spend, Spend", for a job. Her designs were a joint effort with Leigh Bowery. I tried to sell my clothes in many shops and they all said I should be working for Miss Auburn and that's what I intended to do. I showed up at her door with portfolio and college collection in tow. Rachael was prancing around in kamie knickers, a bra, and men's work boots on. I had found my fashion guru. In her most droll English accent, I was told to leave everything and call the next day as she was to show everything to Leigh. Leigh loved my drawings and told her to hire me. I started soon after and was given a glass of orange juice every morning. It took me months to find out Rachael was putting large amounts of speed in my juice. Looking back, the fact that arms were sewn onto legs was Rachael's own doing.



At that time Leigh was running the hippest club in London, TABOO, and Rachael was the DJ. So I was the new kid with the newest not seen before clothes from Rachael's studio. The English can be very bitchy and when they saw this new upstart in Rachael's clothes there was some fever from the old guard. In the end I couldn't have cared less if fat cunts like Mony, who worked in Rachael's store, liked me. I was doing what I wanted to do, HELLO, there were the most amazing characters around; Dean Bright, Pearl, Tojan, who said to me you're not a Ken, you're a Kenny. How right he was. Heroin was the staple of the day, and the boy I love in the squat Kevin, Rachael, and it seemed like, every one else was riding the white horse. London town began to seem like a prison and the inmates were friends on dope. It was time for the new land.



NEW YORK

I arrived in New York on the 4th of July 1986, Independence Day. What a great year, and independence indeed. I stayed with a very old Irish lady who was an old friend of my family, she said she was in the airport all week waiting on me with a big sign saying KINNIT. I knew there was something strange up when she stopped the bus in the middle of the high way to get off, me in tow with all my bags. The driver thought there was some emergency but she told me that was the way you had to get off the bus. Oh sister she was something, I really liked her until the Irish songs started all out of key in a very high pitched voice. Needless to say I had to move on.



I met a guy in a gay bar who needed a room mate and slept on his floor. Its all I needed. A little piece of floor for a long time. I had bags full of clothes squashed in a corner. It was the glorious ghetto 175 Ludlow St. in the Lower East Side, and I was in heaven. I donned my Leigh and Rachael drag along with my friend Liza's Alice in Wonderland dresses, and hit the streets at night. During the day, I got a job in a jewelry design studio which was very undemanding, my main job I thought was to roam the streets in a dramatic fashion alone.



New York in 86 was still a very colorful place and I fit right in. I had a lot of attitude from London fueled by alcohol, insecurity, and a little bit of Irish insanity. People in the clubs either loved or hated me, mostly hated, but hey they sure noticed me, and I was soon asked by Susanne Bartsch to do the door of her soon to be opened night club SAVAGE. Susanne asked me if I knew people and I said, "why yes, everyone." I didn't realize she meant the elite of night life like Andy Warhol and Jean Michel Basquiat, that came later. Honey, I thought she meant the other homeless or near homeless queens like my self. Well it didn't really matter because 2 large cans of Fosters later I was full of confidence and marched off to my first ever door job, big boots and an apron frock on. Gene Crell, who was also doing the door with me, was Vivienne Westwood's right hand man and now the editor of Japanese Vogue, turned out to be one of the most genius and kindest people I met in New York and he recommended me highly to Susanne. Did I also mention he was quite an eccentric? Well he helped me a lot and introduced me to every one; Dianna Brill Rudolf, Michael and Gilinda Costiff, Michael Musto, on and on. It was all very glamorous, Faye Dunaway came as did Debbie Harry, and Bette Midler, it was truly the happening place, and I was now truly happening. The people who hated me now loved me. I was being photographed by Steven Mizel, Scavullo and many more.



Susanne and I became the toast of the town, funny how now I share a night with her as my partner and again we're shaking things up. I went on to do my own party called Panty Girdles with Sister Dimension and Bella Bolsky, and have done so many doors I am embarrassed; The World, Red One, Palladium, USA, the infamous Limelight's Disco 2000. I've seen New York movers and shakers rise and sometimes fall, I've meet every one there was to meet and am not longer interested in working doors. Instead I produce parties and have been for the last seven years, Ultra, Buckingham, Distortion Disko, and Happy Valley Tuesdays. I love when a party is about creativity and joy and having a good time, new music, amazing shows and a place to be seen dressed up, if you like make out, get felt up, swallow some spit and generally feel good, HELLO. All along the way I have been a firm believer in the quest for inner peace and love, some times I am so crazy it doesn't show but believe me its there. I've gotten sober, meditate when I can, and believe in the power of the mantra "Om Namah Shivaya". I am now making music and traveling the world as a photo journalist, I firmly believe the best part of my life is yet to come, and am learning every day how to live with a little less fear and to love more. There are too many stories to tell and too many loved ones I've lost in this lovely but mad city but they all live in my heart. I am proud to be part of New York city which feels like an old friend and holds my heart very dearly, I send you all love and blessings, and hope to see you all gyrating on the dance floor soon, hopefully to my new song Stiletto Kickback, I am also in the process of working on more music with Conrad Kaneshiro, as well as planning a gallery show of my photographs in 2007.



-Love Kenny

I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4*