New York City's newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani sworn in to his position as the world rang in the New Year 2026. Mamdani, alongside his wife, Rama Duwaj, stole the spotlight at the ball drop celebrations at Times Square, New York City, with their chic looks and iconic fashion choices.
28-year-old artist, Rama Duwaji, joined Mamdani during the swearing-in ceremony and amused spectators with her classy and vintage appearance.
Duwaji was styled by Karefa-Johnson, an American fashion editor and stylist, whose look leaned heavily into a vintage inspiration. She wore a black vintage Balenciaga coat paired with culotte-style shorts from The Frankie Shop and Gen Z-approved statement boots by Miista, reportedly priced at $650.
Meanwhile, Duwaji became the centre of trolls for flaunting a luxurious pair of boots during the ceremony rather than opting for something different in order to inculcate in her new role as the wife of the Mayor of NYC. "It’s nice to see a socialist wearing only the best designer clothes," one wrote. While another quipped, "They love capitalism when it benefits them."
However, astonished by her effortless appearances, many users jumped in to defend her fashion choices. One user commented, "She’s a working known artist who makes her own money — is she not allowed to buy herself boots??"
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Another user commented, "$650 boots are not luxury clown town. And if she wants to wear $20k boots, that’s her choice too." Another user commented, "God forbid a girl pays for a pair of shoes from her own money and decides to wear them out for a special event, damnnn y'all would hateeeee meee!!"
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For the public inauguration ceremony held outside City Hall, Duwaji switched to a brown funnel-neck coat designed by Palestinian-Lebanese designer Cynthia Merhej from her label Renaissance. The look carried a retro vibe, complemented by silver earrings instead of gold. She finished the outfit with another bold footwear choice, brown high-heeled lace-up boots.
Meanwhile, Mamdani opted for a tailored suit paired with a herringbone necktie from Delhi-based designer Kartik Kumra’s label, Kartik Research. The custom-made tie was crafted from eri silk sourced from Assam and featured delicate four-petal floral embroidery.
