Tattoos are not forever
Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya's relationship has been one of the most talked-about love stories in the South Indian film industry. From their first meeting on the sets of 'Ye Maaya Chesave' in 2010 to their grand wedding celebrations in 2017.However, their marriage, which was once seen as a fairy tale, came to an end in 2021 when the couple announced their separation.Throwback to the time when, after their separation, the 'Kushi' actress shared regretting getting a tattoo and said that she would never do it again.During an Instagram 'Ask Me Anything' session in 2024, she advised her younger self never to get a tattoo, hinting at regret over the permanent marks linked to her past relationship. Fans understood this as moving on from the marriage. She said, 'You know the one thing I'd tell my younger self is never ever get a tattoo. Never. Never ever.Ever, get a tattoo.'For the unversed, during their marriage, Samantha got several tattoos inspired by her love for Naga Chaitanya. One was the initials 'YMC' on the nape of her neck, a tribute to their first film together called, 'Ye Maaya Chesave'. Another was a matching tattoo with Naga on her forearm, featuring two arrows symbolizing 'Create your own reality.' The most personal was the word 'Chay' inked on her rib, a nickname for Naga.However, after their divorce, Samantha's feelings about these tattoos changed. Supporting this, a photo dump Samantha shared on Instagram in March 2025 showed her matching tattoo with Naga fading, leading to speculation that she is undergoing tattoo removal.Meanwhile, Naga Chaitanya married actress Sobhita Dhulipala in December 2024.
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'We've studied the fantastic models of Shein, Zara, H&M our learnings have come from how they operate. But my question is when we are making clothes for such big international companies here in India, why can't a company as big as Shein or bigger emerge from our own country—clothes made in India by an Indian company and sold across the world? That's what we are working towards." Arrsh Rehani, 19, doesn't care whether his clothes are made in India, Cambodia, China, Vietnam, Pakistan or Morocco. They just need to be trendy and fit his 6ft frame. His experimentation is rather limited compared to the rest of the people I spoke with for this story. 'I just got a (Ralph Lauren) Polo sweater with an embroidered teddy bear since a lot of my friends were talking about toycore (an aesthetic around toys, especially stuffed animals and mini-figures; the viral labubus are part of this) but that's the most experiment I will do," says Rehani, who recently moved to Australia from Noida for further studies. He's more interested in experimenting with footwear—he has over 20 pairs. So much so that he keeps searching for limited-edition Nikes, special collab adidas Sambas and latest Balenciagas on social media apps and resale websites. 'Most of my stuff comes from the brands I see on Instagram," says Rehani, who rarely posts photos on social media. 'I think I use it more as a place to get style ideas from." Also read: Young India's new therapist: The fortune-teller Social media shapes a much of Gen Z's style. 'You have to keep up with trends otherwise you'll get FOMO,' says Umar Shaikh, 19, who follows content creators like Wisdm and actor Shah Rukh Khan for style inspiration. So does Umar Shaikh, 19, who follows content creators like Wisdm and actor Shah Rukh Khan for style inspiration. Often when Shaikh and his friends at a Mumbai college meet, the first thing they discuss is whether their outfit looks like they have put in effort. 'We all exchange notes," says Shaikh, who describes his style as trendy streetwear—think baggy jeans, oversized hoodies, logo T-shirts. He sometimes borrows his elder sister Zee's clothes; the siblings are fans of the unisex style. 'You have to keep up with trends otherwise you'll get FOMO. Everybody wants to be different and also fit in; it doesn't matter whether you are posting on social media or not." THE GREAT PARADOX Various studies attest that Gen Z is more concerned about climate change, excessive consumption and over capitalism. But for every Licypriya Kangujam and Greta Thunberg, there are thousands chasing trends by stuffing their wardrobes with fast fashion. Studies show fast fashion is responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions—more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Gen Z is concerned about climate change, excessive consumption and over capitalism, but for Licypriya Kangujam and Greta Thunberg, there are thousands stuffing their wardrobes with fast fashion. 'I care about the environment... but if my polyester top comes within my budget and I like it, I will buy it,' says Esha Gambhir, 20, from Ghaziabad. Esha Gambhir, a 20-year-old philosophy student in Ghaziabad, doesn't care as much about the pollution as she does about whether the clothes will complement her. 'I care about the environment but it is the last thing on my list," she says. 'I don't have the money to buy a linen top, which I think is also not very environment-friendly (she's not wrong). If my polyester top comes within my budget and I like it, I will buy it." Zee, Shaikh's sister, on the other hand, would like to care more about the environment, but she 'also wants to look cool". Zee Shaikh says she would like to care more about the environment, but she 'also wants to look cool'. Gen Z is aware of the impact of fast fashion and that it is responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions but they don't think their consumption patterns contribute to it.. Shaikh doesn't believe his fast-fashion shopping habit is big enough to hurt the environment. Rehani, on the other hand, has heard of how wasteful fast fashion is but he doesn't buy into the idea. 'That whole notion that Gen Z is much more mindful in terms of consumption is a lot of talk," clarifies Sanghi. 'If you talk to them, they will say, of course, we care about the environment, but they don't follow it in practice." Kathuria, too, would like to reduce her consumption, but not for now. 'Maybe once I am older? 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