New York City's first lady has come under scrutiny for attending upscale Paris Fashion Week events despite earning just $10,000 last year, fueling speculation about who paid for the trip abroad. Rama Duwaji, 28, was spotted with two friends in September on a public-facing getaway that included her participation in a pro-Palestine fundraiser.
Social Media Criticism
Journalist Olivia Reingold criticised Zohran Mamdani's wife on social media for attending the glamorous events. 'Rama Duwaji attended a Paris Fashion Week event this past fall,' Reingold wrote on X. 'That's despite being married to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a socialist who ran on taxing the rich, and making just ~$10,000 last year. The mayor's office did not respond to a request for comment on who paid for this trip (pre-inauguration), which also included a visit to London.'
Financial Background
According to public records reviewed by Politico, Duwaji is a visual artist whose business netted just $8,860 last year after accounting for taxes and additional expenses. The Texas-born Syrian-American works as a visual artist known for her political pieces focusing on Middle Eastern themes, having worked with The New Yorker, Vogue and Tate Modern. Her only pieces currently for sale, according to Reingold's exposé in the Free Press, are a $100 bottle of olive oil with a label she designed and a $40 poster.
Paris Events
In Paris, she attended a fashion show for the Lebanese and Syrian brand Tala Barbotin Khalidy, according to images of Duwaji shared by influencer Aditi Mayer. The brand's latest collection was inspired by Israel's war in Lebanon. The clothing company also hosted an embroidery workshop in Paris, according to a flyer designed by Duwaji herself. 'While abroad, Rama Duwaji also attended a pop-up fundraising for Palestine,' Reingold added. 'Again, it is unclear who paid for this trip, given her income.'
Duwaji was pictured by London-based Lebanese vintage company, Archif, attending a fundraising event adorned with Palestinian flags. There, attendees created a mural using the prompt 'Imagine Liberation,' Reingold reported. The average cost of a European getaway could easily run half of Duwaji's annual income, prompting questions from commenters on how she managed to afford it.
Public Reaction
Commenters were quick to criticise Duwaji, the wife of a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, for partaking in the 'capitalist' fashion industry, seemingly at no cost of her own. 'Imagine being a socialist partaking in the capitalist-based fashion industry,' one person said. 'These champagne socialists are the definition of frauds.' 'There is no one more insufferable than a socialist thriving in a capitalist society,' another added. 'Perhaps her wealthy parents paid for everything,' a third added. 'Whether they grifted it from taxpayers or whether it was paid for by their families, these two elitist socialists are truly next level,' a fourth said.
Mayor's Defense
Mamdani wasn't elected mayor until several months after his wife's trip abroad, quelling concerns that she traveled using taxpayer dollars. Last year, Mamdani brought in $131,926 before taxes from his Assembly salary, along with $1,600 in royalty payments from songs he produced under his hip-hop alias, 'Mr Cardamom.' Since his election, Mamdani has been forced to defend his wife, who told Hyperallergic that she prefers to 'allow her art to speak for itself.' After she was criticised for interacting with anti-Israel content on social media, Mamdani came to her defense, stating that Duwaji did not sign up for a public life. 'My wife is the love of my life, and she is also a private person who has held no formal position on my campaign or in my City Hall,' he said. 'I, however, was elected to represent all eight and a half million people in this city, and I believe that it's my responsibility, because of that role, to answer any questions about my thoughts and my policies and my decisions.'
However, some have accused Duwaji of insisting on 'privacy' as a means to shirk responsibility for her controversial and outspoken pro-Palestinian stance. 'She's trying to get the benefits without being held accountable,' one critic told Reingold, 'and so far, she's been quite successful.' The Daily Mail contacted Mamdani's office for comment.
