India, Jan. 6 -- Power dressing has long been tied with customisation and ownership, where the higher the price tag, the more authority the look is presumed to command. But the new generation is quietly disrupting this idea, with the new Gen Z First Lady of New York, Rama Duwaji, emerging as its torchbearer. On the first day of 2026, as Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the city's first South Asian and Muslim Mayor, all eyes were on his wife, Syrian-American artist, Rama Duwaji. Instead of buying a closet full of expensive new clothes, she chose to borrow and rent her outfits. This move has turned the tradition of power dressing on its head. The most interesting thing about Duwaji's look was a small note in the fashion credits: "On loan." For her first appearance at the midnight ceremony in an old subway station, she wore a vintage wool coat by Balenciaga, which she rented from the Albright Fashion Library, and finished the look with borrowed shorts from The Frankie Shop and vintage earrings. However, she briefly found herself under scrutiny for wearing Miista Shelley boots, which retail for $630 (around Rs.56, 800), before it was later clarified that those, too, were borrowed. Her stylist, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, explained on her Substack newsletter, "Thrifting is something Rama does often; so, renting second-life fashion felt like the most authentic way to approach a moment of this magnitude." Rama's choices weren't just about thrifting or saving money; it was a rather strategic move to dodge public scrutiny. For example, in 2020, people attacked US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for wearing a designer outfit on a magazine cover. Before her, for US Fist Lady Michelle Obama was often judged for mixing cheap brands with expensive ones, and US First Last Melania Trump's wardrobe is still closely inspected. By being open about renting, Duwaji stopped the critics before they could start. Stylist Bharat Luthra notes, "You cannot call someone out of touch for wearing a luxury coat if they are borrowing it to support circular fashion."...