On April 26, 1977, Studio 54 opened its doors and introduced the world to a new era of nightlife. Owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager transformed a former TV studio into a nightclub that hosted extravagant theme parties for the crème de la crème – which included everyone from celebrities to street corner legends.
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The door policy was extremely selective; only the most fabulous need apply. But once ensconced behind the velvet ropes, it was democracy on the dance floor. Sex, fashion, and disco were the order of the day, creating a heady mélange of glamour and decadence in the years just before the advent of AIDS.
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That June, a young artist named Meryl Meisler, then 25, set forth on what would become a regular foray to the clubs with her partner in crime, Judi Jupiter. “Judi called the publicist for Studio 54 and got us on a list,” she remembers, “then she became friendly with the doorman, Marc Benecke. Once he knew us, we were in.”
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