Rama Duwaji, the newly minted First Lady of New York, made her debut appearance at husband Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral election night — and it wasn’t just her presence that drew attention. Her understated black ensemble, a mix of velvet and intricate embroidery, quietly stole the spotlight.
Duwaji wore an embroidered top by Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zeid Hijazi, paired with a velvet lace skirt from Ulla Johnson. The look was elegant yet layered with intent — a personal-political statement as much as a style choice. Her jewellery included sculptural earrings by New York-based designer Eddie Borgo.
Decoding her outfit
An animator and illustrator by profession, Duwaji has emerged as a Gen Z fashion icon whose wardrobe often reflects her activism. By choosing to spotlight a Palestinian designer at such a significant political event, she signalled solidarity amid ongoing global conversations around identity and resistance.
Fashion, long used as a political language, has always served as a way to reclaim history and make visible the unseen. From Princess Diana to Michelle Obama, First Ladies have mastered the art of turning public appearances into subtle statements — and Duwaji’s debut follows that lineage.
Palestinian women once embroidered their thobes (traditional dresses) with motifs that told personal and collective histories. (Source: Instagram/@thetatreezcollective)
Her black dress featured Tatreez embroidery, a centuries-old Palestinian craft rich with coded symbolism. More than ornamentation, Tatreez functions as a record of resistance — stitching stories of survival and memory into fabric. Duwaji’s choice, then, became a gesture of remembrance and quiet defiance, honouring the Palestinian community’s endurance in the face of displacement and loss.
According to a blog post by The Met Museum, Palestinian women once embroidered their thobes (traditional dresses) with motifs that told personal and collective histories. “Until the mid-twentieth century, Palestinian dress styles reflected an individual or a place — a wife, a mother, a daughter, a family, a village, a town, a field, a market,” the museum notes. “The thobe marks the owner’s life and holds a woman’s biographical details through her choice of thread, colour, and pattern — a story told in stitches.”
While Duwaji’s ensemble carried layers of meaning, Mamdani, now New York City’s first South Asian mayor, also brought symbolism to his look. He wore a dark suit complemented by a trio of silver rings — heirlooms and gifts that, as he told The New York Times, reflect his lineage and love. One was passed down from his grandfather, another gifted by Duwaji, and a third, his wedding band.
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The couple’s story, fittingly modern, began on the dating app Hinge before leading to a City Hall wedding — and now, to the steps of history.
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