Last Tuesday night in the East Village, Tax Magazine gathered its community for the launch of Issue [5]: Continuum. Hosted at POST, a minimal, gallery-style space on East 3rd Street, the event blended fashion, queerness, and independent publishing into a scene that felt more like a living moodboard.
The vibe was loose but intentional. By 7 p.m., the space was already filling with artists, writers, models, editors, and downtown regulars. People drifted between the front bar and sidewalk patio, flipping through copies of the new issue while holding tequila sodas and vodka drinks from Superbird, BODY, and Gay Water.
The magazine, stacked on tables and shelves, was impossible to miss — thick, bold, and covered in visuals ranging from polished portraiture to full-frontal honesty. One cover featured a tight shot of chest hair and skin; another, a styled femme icon in pearls and heavy eye makeup. Each version offered a different read on the issue’s theme: the continuum between past, present, and future.
Jonathan Kirby, one of the issue’s cover stars, moved easily through the crowd, posing, laughing, and catching up with friends. He was joined by a mix of collaborators and creatives, including Martín Soto and Terence Edgerson. Around them were editors and contributors from publications like ELLE, Billboard, Cosmopolitan, alongside friends of the magazine and local queer talent.
What stood out most was the range in style, age, and energy. Some guests came in structured blazers and boots; others in crop tops, leather, or bare skin.
Outside, clusters of guests lingered under large umbrellas, turning the sidewalk into a casual extension of the space. Conversations stretched from the industry to the personal, as people swapped thoughts on the magazine, what’s next, and who else might show up.
Tax, five issues in, has built more than a readership — it’s built a scene. The launch wasn’t loud or overdone. It offered the right setting for the kind of people the magazine speaks to: people working between fashion and art, people thinking about identity and presentation, people making things and wanting to be around others who do too.
