In her first official appearances as First Lady of New York City, artist Rama Duwaji shared her spin on classics every New Yorker appreciates on a freezing New Year's Day: timeless winter coats.
Duwaji joined her husband, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, for both a private inauguration ceremony (at midnight on New Year's Day) and a public swearing in (in the afternoon on New Year's Day), for his historic debut as the city's first Muslim mayor. On both occasions, she and her spouse styled understated, but polished, winter outerwear. Puck reports the pair has worked with stylist Bailey Moon, who previously styled former United States First Lady Jill Biden; for the inauguration, Duwaji reportedly worked with stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.
First, at a closed City Hall subway station in Lower Manhattan, Duwaji participated in Mayor Mamdani's swearing in ceremony in a short black coat—vintage Balenciaga, borrowed from the Albright Fashion Library—and Frankie Shop tailored shorts. (During the official swearing-in, Duwaji held the Quran while Mamdani took his oaths of office, officiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James.) She coordinated the all-black set with mid-calf, lace-up boots by Miista, a London-based shoemaker that emphasizes sustainability-minded production practices.
Later that day, Duwaji arrived hand-in-hand with Mamdani at City Hall for the public New York City mayoral inauguration. She traded out her quiet black coat for a more ceremonial piece: a funnel-neck coat in warm brown, styled like a winter dress. Its source? Palestinian-Lebanese designer Cynthia Merhej's label Renaissance Renaissance. Chocolate brown fur lined the coat's cuffs and hem, the latter in a stack of three layers. The new First Lady's only visible accessories included chunky silver earrings and mid-calf, lace-up boots.
Duwaji once again held the Quran as Mamdani was sworn in by Senator Bernie Sanders. Following his oaths of office, the incoming mayor delivered an inaugural address to thousands of New Yorkers. "Standing together with the wind of purpose at our backs, we will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: We will set an example for the world," he said. A block party open to the public followed his 25 minute address.
Even when exact credits behind Rama Duwaji's inauguration coats were not available in full at press time, her outerwear was already making an impression with ceremony viewers. "Rama Duwaji is wearing that coat!" one commenter posted on X. "Boho style icon," another wrote, "and I usually don't care about fashion."
Her first look as First Lady was bound to make an impression. Duwaji is known for her distinctive approach to getting dressed, championing vintage shopping and small-batch designer brands. Both were ultimately present in her inauguration day looks.
"I love fashion, and I love being creative and putting things together and styling things," she told The Cut in a recent profile. (In her cover shoot for the outlet, for example, she styled a mix of New York City designers like Diotima with vintage pieces.)
When Mamdani clinched his October victory in the mayoral race, Duwaji joined him for his election night victory speech in a meaningful look: a top by Palestinian designer Zeid Hijazi paired to a skirt by New York City designer Ulla Johnson. Speaking to The Cut, she mentioned noticing the conversation around her styling choices—and wanting to use her clothing to start dialogues about causes she believes in. "It’s nice to have a little bit of analysis on the clothes because, for instance, during the general-election night, it was nice to send a message about Palestinians by wearing a Palestinian designer," she said.
Keep watching her First Lady wardrobe as Mamdani's term continues. Odds are, she'll continue starting conversations that matter to her with each look.
Editor's note: This post has been updated to include full outfit and styling credits.
