Recap: QUIET! 02 Zine Release Party

Written by Zoya Zia

Photos by Casey Tang

Photo Booth Photos by Alissa Jae Lazo-Kim

Silk Club co-founders Kristina Nguyen and Camille Park sharing the love with photographer Alissa Jae Lazo-Kim

WARNING: SILK CLUB HAS ENTERED THE BUILDING.

In case you missed the memo, the community gathered to celebrate the release of QUIET! 02, the second edition of our bi-annual zine. On a cool Saturday night (December 1, 2018), Silk Club started the month and ended the year with an empowering bang! Keeping with tradition, our all-Asian party at Cheer Up Charlies featured amazing queens, creatives, homemade food and a huge turnout of Silky Babes.

CHEERS, CREATIVES & COMMUNITY

Before the captivating performances and powerful zine readings, the Silk Babes brought warmth to the cool evening with their all-inclusive party atmosphere. Visitors walking into the pink, femme-inspired venue enjoyed tasty food, tarot card readings by Cassie Williams, the Asian Glow cocktail special and tables filled with cute merch from Asian creators. Silk Club also had its own booth set up full of shirts, buttons, raffle prizes and, of course, copies of the zine.

Silk Babes showing off their new copies of the QUIET! 02 zine

Silk Babes checking out merch at the Silk Club table

PHOTOS, PERFORMANCES & POWER

A night to remember, the party still lives on through the stunning snapshots captured by photographers Alissa Lazo-Kim, Jessica Joseph and Casey Tang. With a glittery pink backdrop and a number of silly props, the photo booth added some Silky magic to the guests' pictures with their pals, whose photos convey the collective appreciation felt by the community.

After the crowd visited vendors and settled in, the Silk Club crew took the stage to talk about their QUIET! 02 journey. All eyes on the brightly lit stage, the crowd gave their full attention to the zine contributors as they poured out their hearts and experiences, telling moving stories that, no doubt, resonated with the audience in front of them. This solidarity, taking the form of loud cheers and comforting hugs, was the manifestion of Silk Club’s overall mission: to create a positive, welcoming and empowering space for Asian American womxn/non-binary/femme+ creatives.

GA(Y)IETY, GLITZ & GLAM

From the zine readings to the show-stopping dance numbers, the crowd remained captivated by the line-up of talented and inspiring stars. The drag performers Mai Ho, Kay Pop and Anita Hug hyped up the crowd with their high-energy lip syncs, the audience screaming with fervor as they threw cash tips and loud cheers at the stage. With their innovative makeup looks, unique fits and colorful stage presence, the performers made the night truly special.

Silk Club's Executive Director Kristina Nguyen introducing open mic zine readings

Performer Mai Ho showering the stage with glitter during their performance of "Singing in the Rain" by Loona

Drag queen Anita Hug giving a powerful performance inspired by their Filipinx heritage

Performer Kay Pop staying flexible and getting her coin

Silk Babes cheering on the performers from the front row

FUN, FLOWERS & FUTURE

As the spring flowers bloom and Silk Club organizes its upcoming QUIET! 03 release party, there's sure to be even more Silky excitement in the future. Stay updated by following Silk Club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can also show your support by purchasing a copy of QUIET! or making a donation to our Venmo (@SilkClub). Stay silky!