Rama Duwaji’s First Lady Style and the Politics of Borrowing Fashion

From brooches to ballgowns, a first lady’s sartorial sensibilities can tell the story of her husband’s (or her own) politics and priorities. Michelle Obama wrote a whole book on the subject, and Melania Trump’s slide from European to homegrown designers has followed President Trump’s geopolitics. Yesterday, as New York heralded the beginning of 2026, Rama Duwaji—the new first lady of New York—took the lead with her own fresh take on first lady style.

So what did Duwaji’s fashion have to say? Her two outfits—the first, for a more intimate swearing-in ceremony at an abandoned subway station just after midnight on January 1; the second, for the public inauguration ceremony and block party later that day—leaned on her own authentic personal aesthetic and values, drawing from vintage and independent designers. Most of the fashion credits came with a typically unseen notation: “On loan.”

Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Duwaji’s stylist (and a former global contributing editor to Vogue), noted in her own Substack that while Duwaji doesn’t technically need a stylist, she had been tapped to help “translate her” through fashion. So, Karefa-Johnson got to work at doing what many stylists usually do for a buzzy client: renting from archives, borrowing, and buying from independent designers.

For the midnight ceremony, this included renting a vintage funnel-neck wool Balenciaga coat from Albright Fashion Library and sculptural gold vintage earrings from New York Vintage. She also borrowed a pair of wide-leg shorts from The Frankie Shop and pointed, lace-up Shelley boots from London-based brand Miista. For the public ceremony, Duwaji wore a chocolate brown funnel-neck, faux-fur trimmed coat from Renaissance Renaissance, designed by Palestinian-Lebanese label founder Cynthia Merhej—another personal, political statement. (The coat was a custom reworking of a piece from fall 2023.) Duwaji’s outfit was completed with a pair of laced-up coffee-brown boots and silver hoop earrings. “Regal in the punkest way,” as Karefa-Johnson put it.

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

While the credits are fun and full of their own meaning, the simple clarification that Duwaji’s pieces were “on loan,” “borrowed,” and “rented” also tells a story.

“Rama’s choice to wear vintage earrings, circa 1980s, was incredibly meaningful,” reflects Shannon Hoey, the founder of New York Vintage. “By renting, rather than purchasing, she not only gave new life to an archival piece, but also made a quiet statement about sustainability, circular fashion, and the importance of supporting small, independent businesses.”