New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani celebrated during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in New York’s Brooklyn, accompanied by his wife, illustrator Rama Duwaji.
Duwaji went all black for the occasion. She wore a sleeveless denim top by Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zeid Hijazi featuring laser-etched embroidery, described by the brand as “a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional washing techniques.”
Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji.
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Hijazi became known for blending contemporary fashion with cultural storytelling, often drawing inspiration from his Middle Eastern heritage and exploring themes of identity, queerness, and resistance through bold silhouettes and intricate detailing. Hijazi won the FTA Debut Talent prize for a designer in 2020, and his work has been displayed at London’s V&A Museum since. On Instagram, the designer showed his gratitude for seeing Duwaji wearing one of his pieces.
The next First Lady of New York City paired the denim top with a black mid-calf velvet-and-lace skirt by designer Ulla Johnson, a born-and-raised New Yorker. Duwaji completed her look with silver earrings from New York-based designer Eddie Borgo. Her outfit subtly nodded to the cross-cultural identity of Mamdani’s campaign, which has been a vocal supporter of the Free Palestine movement.
Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji.
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Mamdani became the first Muslim mayor of New York City and the youngest in over a century. His wife, at 28, will also become the youngest first lady in the city’s history.
As WWD previously reported, Duwaji graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Communication Arts in 2019 and earned an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 2024. Her most recent work includes imagery for Vogue that was titled, “‘The Cutter, the Sewer, and the Grommet Queen’ – Meet 9 of New York City’s Garment Workers.”
With 50.4 percent of the votes, Mamdani defeated New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday’s election, according to a race call by the Associated Press.
