What is Kailon?
We're more than content, we're conversation. Kailon's origins.
We’re just one month away from celebrating the first public year of Kailon Magazine. In that short time, we’ve grown into something bigger than we could’ve imagined: 33,000 monthly views, readers in 18 countries, and our first 1,000 followers. Our team now includes interns across Europe, Japan, Canada, and our home base in the United States.
But what exactly is Kailon?
It started as a fun idea: an art project between myself and Devin Andrews. I met Devin through my high school sweetheart—now husband—Thai, who was his childhood friend. Over time, Devin became my brother too, as well as the godfather of our son, Kai. Devin and I called ourselves MFA: “Motha Fuckin’ Artists”—a play on the Master of Fine Arts degree we felt pressured to earn, but constantly felt unworthy of, in order to be taken serious as artists anywhere.
We did everything together—projects, photo shoots, paintings, community events—but Kailon was one that stuck. Back then, it was just Kalon. I was writing lukewarm articles for magazines that gave me little say, shooting local events, and always had a knack for curating, organizing, and finding the most interesting people in the room. I’ve always been good at truly seeing them. As broke college kids in the art and volunteer scene, we didn’t think we’d ever really have our own magazine, but we asked ourselves:
“Why not interview the artists we kept running into, and design digital spreads just for the joy of it?”
Then a few years later, we took a trip to D.C. that changed everything. We spent days hopping from museum to museum, overstimulated, inspired, and honestly, a little pissed off. We kept thinking about how many talented artists we knew who deserved to be in those institutions, but weren’t.
Around that time, our current hyper fixation had become clothing. Designing, styling, thinking about fashion and film costuming non-stop (ADHD art brain). Friends were complaining about the same art scene fatigue, and we thought:
“Fuck it. What if we planned our own runway show? One that was both fashion and art; where no one had to water themselves down or fit a theme—just pure, raw expression?”
So, we did it. We named it Kailon, in honor of my son, Kai. We pitched the show to a local gallery and a handful of artists, poured our savings into it, and on Friday the 13th, 2024, at 6 p.m., I found myself holding a mic in a packed room, trying to explain what Kailon was, out loud, for the very first time.
Kailon has always been about collaboration, self-expression, and conversation. It’s also always been a little unexplainable. If you vibe with it, you get it: Kailon is by artists, for artists.
“The level of artistry from both the models and designers is something that Tallahassee has never witnessed in the same space…’Kailon’ exemplified the future of fashion in Tallahassee…
At New York Fashion Week and other high fashion events, models are expected to act like passive canvases for the clothes. At Kailon, they became theater. They brought personality, joy, swagger, and edge to every walk down the runway. The whole event was electric…
In just one hour, Kailon showed what fashion could be in a small town. It celebrated the overlooked. The brave. The weird. The beautiful. The idea that fashion and art is for everyone.”
-FSU News
We took every dollar from that show and poured it into publishing our first-ever print issue of Kailon Magazine.
“The idea of Kailon was born years ago, inspired by Plato’s philosophy of kalon—the fine, the beautiful, and the noble. In his teachings, kalon is intertwined with agathon, ‘the good,’ reflecting a pursuit of excellence in character, virtue, and life itself.
This philosophy is deeply personal to me. Kailon is named after my son, Kai, who is the heart of everything I do. His arrival shattered the fear and doubt that once held me back. He is my rainbow baby, the light after the storm, and my reason for courage.
...What began as an idea pitched during one of the most difficult moments of my life has now flourished into something extraordinary. A space for boldness, creativity, and a little rebellion.”
-Editor-in-Chief letter, Volume 1, Issue 2
Since then, Kailon has only grown more solid in its message.
We now post weekly digital articles and have released our second print issue: Queer Alchemy—a love letter to pride and queer history.
“This is not just any issue—it’s a collective pulse, a fierce and affectionate offering...
Kailon is woman, queer, and minority-owned—and proud of it. We are grounded in community, culture, and care...
This issue, appropriately dubbed ‘Queer Alchemy,’ is a vibrant constellation of artists, writers, photographers, and visionaries who remind us that queerness is alchemy...
What we’re building isn’t just a magazine. It’s a space of trust, vision, and wild creativity...
Independent publishing is no easy feat, but it is sustained entirely by those who believe in what we’re doing.”
-EIC letter
Where we are now.
Kailon is now entirely women-owned and queer-led. Devin, my original co-founder, has stepped into more of an art director and graphic design role, and now serves as the archivist for our print issues. While the magazine is legally under my name, co-founder will always be beside his, because not only is he forever family, but this dream began with the both of us. Kailon wouldn’t have come to life without the nights we spent imagining it, and I’ll always give him his flowers for that.
Still, I could never run Kailon alone. This has grown into something collective—held up by a passionate team that includes Lilli who is my other half in the magazine, as well as Michelle, Mía, and occasionally my incredibly supportive husband and many friends who pop in and out and continue to support every step of the way. Every person on our team brings their own artistry, care, and conviction into the fold. Their trust and vision are what allow Kailon to thrive.
Kailon is still entirely volunteer-run. From the board, to the writers, to our insanely talented and driven interns, everyone involved believes in what this is. We’ve published indie artists from around the globe in both digital and print, and we're just getting started, because this will not always be the case.
We have long-form essays and investigative features coming soon, some of which will be part of our upcoming paid membership tiers. But most of what we create remains free—accessible to everyone.
If you believe in what Kailon stands for: we need your support. Donations, paid subscriptions, and sponsorships go directly toward helping our artists and team.
Can’t donate? That’s okay! Sharing our work, reposting articles, tagging us, telling a friend—it all makes a massive difference. We mean it.
We’re planning so much more behind the scenes. Things we’re so excited to announce soon—projects that give back directly to artists, to community spaces, to the people who inspire everything we do. But to make them happen, we need your support. We will also be opening our second and last internship round of the year this week.
Thank you for being part of this. For reading. For believing. For building Kailon with us.
This is just the beginning.
Sources:
you-plural at kailon are a great example of what is best in the world: speaking truth, having empathy, and holding space in the world for others. carry on!!
Congratulations, Kailon, for keeping the creative flame burning for the past year and into the future!