After months of meticulous planning and brainstorming, a new chapter for Next officially began Wednesday evening at the magazine’s relaunch party at Dune Studios in SoHo. A mixed crowd of queer writers, drag performers, artists, musicians, and nightlife luminaries (among them Michael Musto, Kevin Aviance, BD Wong, and Lauren Foster) gathered in the packed studio space to celebrate the exciting changes coming to Next, all while DJ JonJon Battles' pop music mix and plates of yummy hors d'oeuvres swirled about in the background with vodka and tequila cocktails.
“The new Next is all about self-improvement,” said editor-in-chief John Russell. “We’re going to feature new columns on fitness, dining, sex, relationships, grooming, and everything else readers need to know about being their best selves. We’re aiming to be a well-rounded publication that’s about the total life, not just nightlife.”
Part of this well-roundedness includes a heightened focus on queer style and fashion. “This new issue is our most ambitious and dynamic style issue yet,” Russell continued. Next’s new publisher, Kevin Hopper of Multimedia Platforms Worldwide, agreed. “We wanted to bring a higher sense of style to Next with the goal of someday being the gay man’s Vogue,” he said.
In addition to the revamps in fashion and lifestyle, Hopper said that the new Next also aims to give back to the community. “We want to raise our level of community involvement, and hope to do so by participating in and sponsoring more events.”
“We feel revitalized,” Russell added. “We’re excited about this new chapter for the magazine and look forward to seeing where it goes from here.”
See photos from the event here.