Weeks after the New York Knicks' first NBA championship win in 53 years, the city remains in celebration mode. At the post-parade ceremony at City Hall, Mayor Zohran Mamdani presented each player with a key to the city. The event saw high energy, galvanizing speeches, and stylish fan gear. Notably, Mamdani's partner, Rama Duwaji, a Syrian American artist and illustrator, took the stage in an upcycled one-shoulder Knicks T-shirt dress paired with a black skirt, Nike Air Rift sandals, and orange pompom earrings. Vogue described the look as 'channeled the DIY spirit of downtown New York.'
Backlash Over Shoulder Exposure
While politicians' spouses often face fashion scrutiny, Duwaji's outfit drew criticism not for its style but for exposing her shoulders on a hot summer day. This sparked slut-shaming from both men and women. A New York Post story called the outfit a 'disheveled dress made from a pile of Knicks T-shirts and a pair of widely loathed sneaker-sandals.' One right-leaning Democrat labeled Duwaji 'trashy' and 'classless,' while a Donald Trump supporter questioned if her outfit was 'appropriate' for a woman representing New Yorkers. The comments have been dramatic, baseless, and hypocritical.
Hypocrisy in Criticism
During Mamdani's mayoral run last September, he faced Islamophobic attacks, including threats of bacon and edited images of the Statue of Liberty in a burqa. Conservatives expressed fear that Mamdani would 'impose Sharia law' on New York City and that women would be forced to cover up. Now, the same demographic is appalled that Duwaji bared her shoulders at a summer parade. This raises the question: is the issue about her dressing too liberally, or is it about discomfort with a brown, socialist, or different person in power?
Duwaji is not the first politician's wife scrutinized for clothing. Similar racist commentary has targeted Michelle Obama, Meghan Markle, and Chirlane McCray. Under a New York Post photo of Duwaji, one commenter asked, 'How come some radical Muslim isn’t trying to assassinate Rama Duwaji for ignoring Muslim modesty rule?'
A Muslim Woman's Perspective
As a Muslim woman who does not wear the hijab or dress modestly, I understand how clothing is politicized against me and my community. The way I dress is self-expression and does not negate the validity of Muslim American women who dress more conservatively. Muslims exist on a spectrum and should not have to conform to puritanical white Christian culture to feel safe. Whether Duwaji dressed modestly, wore a hijab, or posed nude like the current U.S. first lady, the issue is not her clothing but her daring to be a Muslim woman of color making choices about her own body. While this will not be the last time Duwaji faces scrutiny as some cling to patriarchal white supremacy, I hope she continues doing whatever she wants.
