It’s a long-respected fact that the culture that comes out of New York emanates worldwide. The concrete jungle is a playground of differing ethnicities, styles, and attitudes, and formed the prototype for some of the world’s greatest cities.

It exists as a fluctuating ideal, without one distinct and tangible thing you can definitively describe, and therefore it can be pretty hard to capture its essence in an authentic and encompassing way.

Photographer Tom Ivin suggests the best method to really show what New York is all about is to go via the eyes of the people who inhabit the city, with the second issue of his zine Astro doing just that. 

Shot in the early summer of 2023, it documents the technicolour culture of the city and its youths, with each person featured introducing themselves via their own personal styling – this isn’t some glossy shoot, but real clothes worn by real people, doing what they like.

From Audi pulling faces at the Bushwick Inlet Park, to Kasamba posing with a bearded dragon resting on his head, Ivin’s photography offers an alluring glimpse at the high-spirited youth coming up in an evermore hi-octane city. 

Click through the gallery above for a sneak peek at Astro, and head to the Photographer’s Gallery on September 14 for the launch party and to pick up a copy of the zine IRL.