When it comes to First Lady fashion, the mind immediately goes to bouclé suits, pillbox hats and the occasional questionable slogan parka from Zara. But, in the words of Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changin’. The internet—and the world at large—can feel pretty bleak right now, so waking up on Thursday morning to “hopecore” edits of Zohran Mamdani set to a remix of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” was a welcome serotonin boost.
Aside from being New York City’s first Muslim Mayor, Mamdani has been gaining legions of fans online thanks to his very cool wife, Rama Duwaji. Following Mamdani’s win, the Syrian-American artist and new First Lady of New York City joined her husband on stage modeling micro bangs and an embroidered top by London-based Palestinian artist Zeid Hijazi.
Zeid, who studied at Central Saint Martins and won the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize in 2022, has, by his own admission, been “ghosting his DMs” since he found out the news via Instagram (a 2025 success story if ever there was one). Taking a break from the flood of stock requests and congratulatory messages, the designer spoke to British Vogue about dressing the new First Lady and the complexities of being a Palestinian designer.
How did it feel seeing Rama Duwaji wear your design?
You never know if it’s actually going to happen, so I didn’t let myself get too hyped. Then I woke up the next morning in Jordan, opened Instagram, and it was crazy. I never expected it to be this big. When a celebrity wears your piece, that’s one thing, but when it’s someone political, it takes on a whole new meaning. It didn’t feel like it was about me anymore; it felt like it was about my community.
How has your community reacted?
It’s been beautiful. I’ve had people message me who I haven’t spoken to in years – mothers, old friends – just saying they’re proud. That’s the best part. As amazing as the press is, the best type of reaction is the reaction that I get from my community, especially people who have nothing to do with fashion and just want to see you succeed.
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