Culture
From Sound Baths To Red Flags: My Exit From Austin’s New Age Bubble
We grew up in a strange time. The 9/11 generation. The Britney Spears breakdown era. Told to be confident—but also thin, hot, and likable. We were the last to know life before smartphones—and the first to get addicted to them.
By Ali Tate6 min read
In my twenties, I was modeling in London and New York as a plus-size model. It looked like a dream—fashion weeks, campaigns, magazine spreads. But everything still revolved around how I looked. Even in “body positive” spaces, the message was: be palatable. Be marketable. Everything felt like a performance. I couldn’t name it at the time, but I was starving for something real.