Kostiff Living

As a resident of London with her spiritual home in Rio, German-bom Gerlinda Kostiff is perhaps the original "citizen of the world." Currently Britain's reigning diva of the night, she is the hostess of "Kinky Gerlinky," a decadent festival that many regard as the best club night in Europe. Kostiff: "I was inspired by the Mardi Gras in Rio, so I brought a bit to London." With near-monthly frequency over the last three years, she and husband Michael have played host to drag queens, celebrities, and minor European royalty. Most months see hundreds of stunned tourists gawking at the pageant parading through the Kinky door at the Empire Ballroom on Leicester Square.

Despite having spent a lot of time in Miami recently, Kostiff says that Kinky is not going to move across the Atlantic. "But I am planning something in Miami that's going to be fabulous—it's going to be a fusion of fashion and music." For the moment, Kostiff is content to host her club, "where everyone can be part of the show," and is planning to take Kinky on summer holiday to Amsterdam and Venice. "I like to do clubs that are not full of voyeurs in cities where people take part."

TYLER BRÛLÉ