Returning to Tel Aviv after two weeks in America, I found a stark contrast between the curated conformity of New York and the authentic spontaneity of life in Israel. While trends dictate choices in the States, Tel Aviv celebrates real connections and personal experiences. Here, life feels lived rather than performed, renewing my sense of authenticity and presence. New column for Fashion Israel by Ava Swidler
Shalom, my friends.
It’s been two weeks and I’m finally back in Tel Aviv.
While I was in America, the fashion world was turning upside down. The original Birkin was sold at auction. Anna Wintour stepped down. There’s speculation that Bezos might take over Vogue. Another thing – Labubus. Personally, I needed to get the fuck out. Is nothing sacred anymore? Not even Vogue? Why is ruining the things I love trending?
Thankfully, I managed to find small pockets of peace amidst the chaos, usually in the form of walking (window-shopping). One day I was walking the streets of Manhattan with a friend, a native New Yorker, and she was telling me about how mainstream the city has become, how its unconventional character is not what it used to be. My sister’s friend had said the exact same thing earlier that day. I didn’t fully understand until she pointed out specific stores she used to love that social media had now ruined or the fact that the next three people we passed were wearing the exact same outfit, and it started to click.
What she meant was that the art of exploration without the help of AI or social media in New York is dead. It seems like a lot of people have stopped exploring their city, their style, or even themselves anymore. They just look things up. They go where they’re told to go. They wear what they’re told to wear. No one asks, “What do I like?” anymore. They ask, “What’s trending?” which, yes, it seems that has always been the question in New York. But now it seems more popular than ever.
And I do it too. I look up where to eat, where to party, and where to shop. But the truth is, I’m tired of being part of the show. Everyone’s just trying to skip to the answer, but life is supposed to be slow; it’s supposed to be difficult. It’s the decisions you make without knowing for sure. Now the world is so easy and curated that no one even feels satisfaction in what they’re doing, because nothing is tailored to them. It’s all tailored by social media, by AI, by someone else.
I hear my grandparents talk about the New York they knew, meeting people at diners, going on spontaneous double dates, bumping into their friends on the street. That kind of magic doesn’t happen anymore. We’re too busy typing and swiping and searching. Again, things are easier now. Too easy. There’s no more struggle, no more romance. Which brings me here. Back to Tel Aviv.
Here, I walk down the street and let my instincts guide me. If something draws me in, I go inside. There’s Shalvata and Moonchild, and of course, there are the “it” spots, but the only people obsessed with those places are the Americans, and it shows. Israel feels more real.
Here, people aren’t looking up the best restaurants for Instagram-worthy food. They go where the food tastes good. They wear what feels good. They meet people in real life. They stop and talk to strangers. They discover their favorite spots by wandering, not by saving a TikTok. Here, life feels lived. Not performed.
Being in Tel Aviv has brought me back to life. I care so much less about what club I’m at or what I’m wearing. I care that I feel confident, that I’m with people I love, that I’m actually present. The pressure is gone. The comparison is gone. Here, people are too busy living to think about curating their lives for strangers on the internet. Because life here seems to be celebrated more, because it is constantly being taken away.
Follow along with my summer adventures and explorations!
Brought to Israel through @onwardisraelexperience
Personal instagram: @avavavavaavavv
