DELICIOUSDEITY: 2026

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Victor Hugo hilarity

That is not Victor-Marie Hugo, Vicomte Hugo, towering legend of French Romanticism in the photo (above, left), but Victor Hugo, hustler-boyfriend of the American designer Halston. I suppose The Economic Times can be forgiven the mistake, but it made me laugh out loud when I stumbled upon it. I just love the fact that some flunky photo editor, who is probably not even thirty, born right next to his first mobile phone (gift of Auntie), was oblivious - and so wonderfully innocent in his obliviousness. "Must search the archives for a picture of that guy Victor Hugo, whoever that is .. Oh, here we go .."

Victor Hugo (the window dresser, not the writer) was certainly shameless. Hooking up with Halston in the early 70s, he entered the hallowed halls of artistic New York. They may have met in The Ramble in Central Park. One biographer said Halston moved through The Ramble "like a hooded creature." Making friends with Halston's fashion elite and artistic hangers-on, Hugo connected with Andy Warhol who found him to be an inspiration. Both Hugo and Halston enjoyed indulging in the hedonistic world of Studio 54, where he introduced Halston to cocaine. Their ride together, according to close friends, was very much a rocky one. Hugo was Venezuelan, and his hot Latin temper would get the best of Halston's poseur dignity. Hugo would appear at parties in Halston's gowns, much to the embarrassment of this son of Des Moines (but to the absolute delight of Andy).

Born Victor Rojas in Caracas in 1948, he took on the alias Hugo as a pun on 'huge'. Certainly, if you've dated any Venezeulans, you can testify to the general size of their impressive uncut junk. Some years back I posted Torsos and Sex Parts, a study of Warhol's Polaroid obsessions. You can find it here: Torsos - and also find a few pictures of Victor gobbling down some cock. In Warhol's Interview magazine he was aptly quoted: "Perhaps you would describe me as jaded, darling, but I prefer to say that in living there is absolutely nothing that is bad. I can only say that I live fully 24 hours a day - and regret nothing."

Did I mention he was shameless? Oh, yes, yes. Near the end he had started stealing from Haltson and his friends to support his drug habit. He was fingered for stealing some of Warhol's work, as well as personal items from Elsa Peretti. Nonetheless, Halston had granted him a stipend that would continue until his death. For old times' sake, I suppose. He was found homeless by friend Scott Covert in 1993 sleeping in a park. At the time he was unable to scrape enough money together to get a room at the Chelsea.

All the naughtiness cost both Hugo and Halston their lives. By 1988 Hugo had been diagnosed with AIDS, which took him down in 1994. Halston had earned his wings a few years earlier, in 1990, dying of complications from Kaposi's Sarcoma. Live fully and regret nothing. Indeed.