No sooner have airports introduced new scanning machines so you don’t need to unpack your carry-on bags, than a trend emerges where you photograph all your loose items in your airport security tray.
The “airport tray aesthetic” has taken off on TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest as people share artfully arranged shots of their sunglasses, shoes, toiletries and reading material inside the regulation polypropylene dishes.
Don’t expect crumpled plastic bags stuffed with toothpaste and Pepto-Bismol. This is aspirational travel, where your 35mm film camera nestles between your vintage loafers and your first-edition copy of “On the Road.”
It’s the latest in a line of trends where people curate their possessions for a public showcase, from bookshelves to bedside tables to even the insides of our refrigerators. (Yes, “fridgescaping,” which involves storing flowers and picture frames alongside your butter and eggs, is now a thing).
However, the trend is ruffling more than a few feathers, due to the airport security line being one of the top places in the world where it’s imperative to avoid dilly-dallying.
Think-pieces have naturally been spilling forth.
