Y2K is back, but at a higher degree of “cool”. Thanks to Ananya Panday for refashioning millennial era style with Gen-Z panache.
The way Ananya Panday does fashion is off-the-wall fun and electric - with those pastel butterfly tops, neon pants, and distinctly Y2 coded styles. She takes the nostalgia that Gen-Z craves and cooks it up a notch, transforming every attire into an Insta-ready aesthetic, flooding with personality and playfulness.
Let's step in, and unravel Ananya's most lively, modern spins on millennial era style.
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Ananya made her grand debut at the Paris Fashion Week 2024 for Rahul Mishra's ‘Superheroes’, showing up in a gorgeous embroidered mini dress paired with a circular, butterfly-accented accessory. The look, inspired by dramatic insects and the animal theme, splendidly blended couture craftsmanship with experimental artistry, turning it into a timeless highlight of the fashion event
(@ananyapanday/Instagram)
For a kittenish yet laid-back streetwear moment, Ananya Panday made jaws drop in a blush-pink off-shoulder tie-front crop top paired with matching high-rise shorts. She nailed the pastel look into place with chunky blush Skechers sneakers for a millennial era sports luxe vibe. Styled for a casual photoshoot and street-ready campaign, the look felt like walking through a cotton candy cloud with platform sneakers on - it was lighthearted, youthful, and seamlessly cool, perfect for off-the-clock days or an easy brunch with friends.
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Low-rise jeans are hitting the markets yet again, and Ananya proves they’re cooler than ever in Kanika Goyal’s mesmerizing spiral-seamed denim. The eddying blues on a relaxed, low-waist fit screamed 2003 garage-band vibes, however the modern slim silhouette and polished black tank gave it a clean, centered aesthetic vibe in 2025. She amped up the look with a silver chain choker and a pair of pointy black boot heels for that low effort, high impact realness.
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Reviving the chaos, charm, and candy-coated boldness at the Disney Pixar ‘Inside Out 2’ launch in Mumbai, Ananya Panday wowed in a striking Area peach colorblock co-ord. The designer’s bustier cup crop tee and matching flared pants - beautified with bold black circular motifs - channeled serious pop-art vibes. Styled by Priyanka Kapadia, this frolicsome, “futuristic, but make it vintage-coded” look was capped off by soft waves and statement rings, rightly echoing the movie’s animated spirit and style-savvy exuberance.
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For a night out at Butterfly High Oshiwara in Mumbai, Ananya Panday mirrored the Y2K nostalgia in a white knotted crop top and punk-infused, asymmetrical Freakins denim mini skirt, paired with a razor-cut black oversized blazer. Black and white block heel mules and lustrous locks with a sculpted side-part, elevated the cool-girl Y2K vibe. No sweat chic, this street-style look reflected pure Gen-Z meets early-2000s sass.
Ananya Panday sure does know what Y2K was all about : going full throttle on loud prints, unconventional silhouettes, and accessories paired with attitude. She chooses one evocative element - be it butterflies or baby-pink cargos - and pairs it with a voguish staple, like a sleek belt or minimalist heels. The outcome looks both familiar yet with an entirely novel and modern edge.
