New Delhi

As the clock struck midnight in New York, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the city’s 112th mayor in an unusual yet symbolic setting an abandoned subway station near City Hall.

With his hand placed on the Quran, held by his wife Rama Duwaji, Mamdani took the oath amid confetti bursts and the pulsating beats of Sikh rapper Babbu Singh, as excited New Yorkers ushered in what many see as a new political chapter.

Beyond the ceremony, it was the couple’s fashion choices that sparked conversation across continents.

A subtle Indian touch

Mamdani opted for a classic black velvet suit and crisp white shirt, but it was his herringbone tie that quietly stole the spotlight. Designed by Kartik Research, the tie featured delicate gold embroidery with four-petal floral motifs.

Crafted from Eri silk sourced from Assam, the accessory added a refined Indian touch to the mayoral look. The label is helmed by Delhi-based designer Kartik Kumra, an LVMH Prize semi-finalist in 2023.

New York Attorney General Letitia James administers the oath of office to mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani

First Lady style moment

Standing beside him, Rama Duwaji, already a Gen Z fashion favourite made a strong sartorial statement. She wore a vintage Balenciaga wool coat with an asymmetrical funnel neck, paired with wide-legged shorts from The Frankie Shop. Miista’s pointed lace-up boots anchored the outfit, while sculptural earrings and gold bracelets from New York Vintage completed the look.

The couple was styled by noted fashion editor and stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson for both the private swearing-in and the public inauguration outside City Hall.

Zohran Mamdani and wife Rama Duwaji during the public inauguration ceremony

Inauguration looks and online debate

For the public ceremony, Mamdani kept things understated in a tailored black suit, finished with a burgundy silk tie. Duwaji, meanwhile, chose toasted-brown separates by Renaissance Renaissance, the label of Palestinian-Lebanese designer Cynthia Merhej.

She layered the outfit with a coffee-brown wool funnel-neck coat, detailed with faux-fur accents at the cuffs and hem, and paired it with statement boots and burnished silver hoop earrings.

While her look was widely praised, it also drew criticism online after her Miista boots were reported to cost over 600 dollars. Critics questioned the optics, given Mamdani’s Democratic Socialist platform centred on affordability and accessibility.

Addressing the scrutiny in a recent interview with The Cut, Duwaji reflected on the political power of clothing. “It’s meaningful when fashion opens up conversations,” she said. “On election night, wearing a Palestinian designer was a deliberate choice, it was a message.”

From Assam silk to vintage couture, Mamdani’s swearing-in proved that politics and personal style can intersect sometimes quietly, sometimes controversially but always with intent.