Caviar and selfies with Alix Earle: Inside Time magazine's soiree for top creators

"Do you want caviar?"

Servers floated around a renovated pencil factory in Brooklyn with holsters carrying caviar and crackers around their waists, while internet stars mingled.

The soiree, hosted by Time magazine, celebrated the publication's second annual "Time100" list of content creators. The woman of the hour: Alix Earle, one of the magazine's latest cover stars.

When I arrived at the function, Earle was giving a red carpet interview. Later, while I was in line for the bathroom, I had to wait my turn to sneak behind a photographer having an impromptu photo shoot with her. Throughout the night, guests — including creator peers — rotated taking photos with Earle.

Besides Earle, the room was packed with creators you'd recognize from your phone screens — so many that it was hard to introduce yourself to everyone wiggling through the crowded room.

"You recognize them, but are too scared to say hi," Vivian Tu, of "Your Rich BFF" fame, told me.

Networking was on the agenda, either way.

Who else — besides Earle — were creators dying to meet or network with? I asked the crowd.

Here were some answers:

• Kane Parsons, the YouTuber-turned-director who made headlines this year with A24 hit "Backrooms"
• Boman Martinez-Reid, a comedy creator known for his reality TV skits
• Wisdom Kaye, a fashion creator who made it big on TikTok and was dubbed a "Titan" on Time's 2026 list
• Maura Higgins, a reality TV star who was a contestant on "Love Island" and "The Traitors US"
• Martin Andrijasevic, one half of the "Slushy Noobz" comedy duo

Not everyone did their homework, though. Several creators I asked didn't know who to expect at the party.

Meanwhile, there were constant lines at the open bar and the Target-sponsored freebie corner. The DJ kept playing until the party ended at 9 p.m., but there wasn't much dancing.

Let me take you into the night.

The guest list: It was the FYP, but IRL: Alix Earle, Valkyrae, Jackie Aina, Wisdom Kaye, Eric Sendeño, Max Zavidow, Achieng Agutu, Delaney Rowe, Katie Feeney, Josh Richards, Vivian Tu, and many others. There were industry executives, too: Whalar Group (which owns the party venue, The Lighthouse) cofounder Neil Waller, Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor, and OpenAI's VP of global creative partnerships (and ex-Meta exec) Charles Porch. Creators' friends and family, as well as their managers and agents at firms like Range Media Partners, CAA, and WME, were also interspersed in the crowd. There were lots of media regulars, too, in addition to Time's own staff.

The moment: Two comedy creators, Martin Andrijasevic and Lucas Lopez, told me they'd helped each other work up the courage to take the red carpet for a spin. Comedy creators tend to stick together, they said. I caught them as they geared up for a second take, like two kids riding the biggest ride at the amusement park.

The gripe: For a party where networking was literally on the agenda, it was a bit loud and crowded, making it difficult to start a conversation.

The quote: "Maybe next year!" several creators who didn't make the cut this year said.