PHOTOS: Los Angeles Paints It Black—Mr. Black

Since its inception in a basement bar in downtown New York, Mr. Black has been something of a standard for risque queer fun. The brand outgrew its East Coast roots (though rumor has it Mr. Black will have a presence in the Big Apple again soon) but has been a staple in L.A. nightlife since 2009, when Luke Nero moved the genderfuck festivities out West. This Tuesday night marked the two-year anniversary of Mr. Black in the City of Angels and Nero and co-producer Andres Rigal celebrated with a grand masquerade ball at Bardot, where the looks were tight, the waiters wore aprons (and little else) and the Moët was flowing like bathwater. “Nothing is too small, everything is pushed beyond,” says Rigal amidst the masked and queer characters of L.A.’s nightlife community. “[Mr. Black] ups the ante—costumes heightened, makeup thicker, dancing stronger and music harder.”