New York marked a historic moment as Zahran Mamdani became the city’s first Muslim mayor, ushering in a new chapter of representation and diversity in the United States.
At the election night celebration, attention turned not only to Mamdani’s victory, but also to the first public appearance of his wife, Rama Duwaji, the Syrian-American visual artist, who stood beside him in a striking all-black ensemble rich with cultural meaning.
Duwaji chose her look to carry a deliberate artistic and political message.
She wore an embroidered blouse by Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zaid Hijazi, known for weaving Palestinian heritage into futuristic Arab aesthetics.
She paired it with a velvet-and-lace skirt by New York designer Ulla Johnson, according to NDTV.
At just 28 years old, Duwaji becomes the youngest First Lady in New York City’s history — using fashion as a language of identity, memory, and cultural storytelling.
Zahran and Rama first connected on the dating app Hinge in 2021.
They got engaged in October 2024 and were married in a civil ceremony in New York in early 2025, followed by a private celebration in Dubai, where Rama spent much of her childhood and where her family still lives.
Later in 2025, they held a three-day wedding celebration at the Mamdani family home in Uganda.
Born in Houston, Texas in 1997 to Syrian Muslim parents, Duwaji moved to Dubai at the age of nine.
She studied Communication Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University, then earned a Master's in Fine Arts in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York.
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