On a warm Friday evening in Manhattan’s Chinatown, a new nightlife destination marked its official opening with a theatrical funeral-themed party. Gosh, a nightclub blending art, performance, and immersive design, welcomed an eclectic mix of guests ranging from artists and writers to investors and socialites.
The procession began with four men clad in white gloves carrying a casket down Mulberry Street, accompanied by an actor dressed as a priest leading mourners draped in veils and holding vapes. This somber introduction gave way to the club’s vividly imaginative interiors, featuring spiked green foam-lined corridors, mushroom-shaped stools supported by gnome statues, and walls adorned with unsettling, surrealist fabric art. The atmosphere was cultivated to attract a creative, fashion-forward crowd seeking an alternative to the more conventional natural wine bars prevalent in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Gosh’s origins trace back to Florence, Italy, where founder Alexander Vartivarian, formerly of the fashion industry, opened the original club in 2017. The venue quickly became a hub for international creatives speaking multiple languages and fostered connections that ultimately led to the club’s expansion to New York City. Vartivarian partnered with Jacob Hyman and Tommaso Rositani Suckert, gallery owners familiar with the art world’s intersections with nightlife, as well as Lucas Hoffmann, a producer and entrepreneur who joined the team in 2024. After securing a former omakase restaurant space on Mulberry Street in January 2025, they raised a seven-figure sum from private backers to recreate and amplify the club’s maximalist aesthetic.
The interior design features works from notable contemporary artists including Martin Kippenberger and Paul McCarthy, as well as custom elements such as velvet curtains by painter Adrian Schachter and printed carpeting by designer Darren Romanelli. An upstairs confessional booth styled after a Catholic church adds another layer of immersive detail.
On opening night, attendees were encouraged to embody characters such as “bereaved aristocrats” and “sexy pallbearers.” The event included live mariachi music outside the venue and performances by actors engaging guests throughout the space. The crowd skewed toward well-connected creatives and art professionals, with many guests commenting on the club’s stylish and visually stimulating environment.
Visitors described the club as a throwback to an earlier era of New York nightlife, with writer Naomi Fry noting its resemblance to the glamorous scenes of early 2000s Manhattan. Others praised Gosh for its distinct atmosphere in what some perceive as a declining era for nightclubs. Investors expressed enthusiasm for the venture’s “right kind of insane” vibe, signaling confidence in its niche appeal.
As the night progressed, the club’s energy shifted to a dance-oriented ambiance in the basement, where a mixture of music styles, including Detroit house, fueled revelry until the early hours. Among the guests, longtime New York nightlife figure Dianne Brill and matchmaker Anna Shimonis remarked on the club’s blend of style, intimacy, and youthful energy.
Gosh represents a calculated fusion of art, fashion, and nightlife in downtown Manhattan, aiming to fill a perceived void for experiential social spaces that reject mainstream trends in favor of theatricality and creative expression. The club’s founders plan to continue cultivating a carefully curated community, balancing exclusivity with a commitment to immersive design and performance.