Sergio Tavelli on Plastic, Voguing, and Milan's Club Culture

Sergio Tavelli, art director and DJ at Milan's Plastic club since the mid-1990s, discusses the intersection of clubbing and voguing. He describes voguing's origins in New York's underground scene of the early 1990s, where clubs like Life and Sound Factory served as spaces for the African American and Latino LGBTQ+ community. Tavelli notes that Malcolm McLaren's 1989 album 'Waltz Darling' popularized voguing before Madonna's 'Vogue' in 1990. He contrasts the spontaneous balls of the past with today's organized events. Tavelli explains Plastic's role as a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community, emphasizing its non-commercial music policy and selective entry policy started by founder Nicola Guiducci in 1980 to protect marginalized patrons. He recalls inviting Xavier Ninja of the House of Ninja to Plastic in 2009. Tavelli also mentions other historic Milan clubs like Virus and Isterica, and highlights the influence of New York venues such as The Loft and Paradise Garage on Plastic's musical direction.