Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City's 112th mayor on January 1, 2026, shortly after midnight. The ceremony highlighted his "everyman" persona and commitment to policies aimed at equity, such as taxing the rich more heavily and implementing rent freezes.
However, attention quickly shifted to his wife, Rama Duwaji, a 28-year-old artist, animator, and illustrator known for her outspoken criticism of US imperialism. During the event, she appeared to wear $630 Miista "Shelley Boots", luxury lace-up boots made from vegetable-tanned cow leather, featuring a memory foam insole and a 6 cm heel,along with a black coat, skirt, and gleaming earrings.
This wasn't the first instance of her sporting high-end fashion; during his November 2025 victory speech, Duwaji wore a denim top by Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zeid Hijazi and earrings from upscale NYC jeweler Eddie Borgo, whose pieces can retail for over $46,000.
The New York Post article framing this as a controversy sparked backlash on social media, with critics accusing the couple of hypocrisy. Comments included calling Mamdani's agenda a "scam" for pushing rent policies that could harm housing while his wife flaunts expensive items, labeling it "performative socialism," and sarcastically noting that seizing the means of production might make such luxuries accessible to all.
