{"id":195114,"date":"2026-04-13T08:55:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T08:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/195114\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T08:55:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T08:55:07","slug":"new-york-citys-first-lady-rama-duwaji-wears-culturally-significant-coat-at-inauguration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/195114\/","title":{"rendered":"New York City’s First Lady Rama Duwaji Wears Culturally Significant Coat at Inauguration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ARama Duwaji’s striking coat, designed by Palestinian-Lebanese brand Renaissance Renaissance, makes a bold fashion statement that celebrates cultural pride and women’s resilience.NYC Today<\/p>\n

Rama Duwaji, the wife of newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, made a bold fashion statement at the inauguration ceremony by wearing a one-of-a-kind brown coat made from faux fur and wool, crafted by the innovative Palestinian-Lebanese designer Cynthia Merhej. The striking three-tier fringe coat, entirely sourced and handcrafted in Beirut, Lebanon, drew inspiration from Merhej’s fall\/winter 2023 collection and was styled by renowned stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

Duwaji’s choice to wear the culturally significant coat on her very first day as First Lady of New York City spotlights a small, independent female designer from the Middle East, providing important representation and amplifying marginalized voices in the fashion industry. The coat also serves as a testament to the strength and resilience of women in the community.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

The coat, described by designer Cynthia Merhej as ‘a testament to the superhuman strength of women and our community,’ was the result of a collaborative effort among the women in Merhej’s family. Stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson emphasized the impact of Duwaji’s choice, noting that ‘fashion isn’t just about looking good\u2014it’s a language that conveys powerful ideas and sparks conversations.’<\/p>\n

Rama Duwaji wore the coat during the inauguration ceremony of her husband, Zohran Mamdani, as the new Mayor of New York City on January 1, 2026.The coat was crafted by Palestinian-Lebanese designer Cynthia Merhej for her brand, Renaissance Renaissance, as part of the fall\/winter 2023 collection.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Rama Duwaji<\/p>\n

The wife of newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Rama Duwaji is a talented Syrian-American illustrator and animator who is known for her bold fashion choices that blend personal expression with deeper significance.<\/p>\n

Zohran Mamdani<\/p>\n

The newly inaugurated Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani is a 34-year-old democratic socialist who champions policies like affordable housing and social equity.<\/p>\n

Cynthia Merhej<\/p>\n

The innovative Palestinian-Lebanese designer behind the brand Renaissance Renaissance, which created the striking three-tier fringe coat worn by Rama Duwaji.<\/p>\n

Gabriella Karefa-Johnson<\/p>\n

A renowned stylist who teamed up with Rama Duwaji to curate her inauguration outfits, including the culturally significant coat.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cOn her very first day as First Lady of New York, Rama is spotlighting a small, independent female designer from the Middle East. That kind of representation truly echoes far and wide because fashion isn’t just about looking good\u2014it’s a language that conveys powerful ideas and sparks conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Stylist<\/p>\n

\u201cThis coat is a testament to the superhuman strength of women and our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Cynthia Merhej, Designer<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

Rama Duwaji and her husband, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, are expected to continue using their platform to highlight underrepresented voices and promote social equity in New York City.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

Rama Duwaji’s choice to wear a coat designed by a Palestinian-Lebanese woman on her first day as New York City’s First Lady showcases how fashion can be a powerful tool for representation, cultural expression, and sparking important conversations about diversity and inclusion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a Rama Duwaji’s striking coat, designed by Palestinian-Lebanese brand Renaissance Renaissance,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":195115,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[9,56,63,65,64],"class_list":{"0":"post-195114","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-city","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-ny","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-nyc-headlines","12":"tag-nyc-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195114\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/195115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}