Art Decor

Bob Steffen was the flamboyant star among window dressers in the musty Bern of the post-war era. His extravagant environments for fur, fabric, and lingerie were as much a topic of conversation as the gay bon vivant, globetrotter, and nonconformist himself. Coming from humble beginnings, he worked his way up as a male escort and nude model into the jet set of the gay beau monde and became a successful decorator who remained at the center of the Bernese bohemia well into old age. Flamboyant and shamelessly promiscuous, he lived by his own rules and paid little heed to the norms of bourgeois society, just as he disregarded the standards of "good taste" in his role as a window designer. Bob Steffen left behind a rich legacy of images that delve into Art Deco, showcasing kaleidoscopic facets of his life.