NYC First Lady Rama Duwaji Spotted Shopping in Soho Post-Controversial Retreat
Rama Duwaji, wife of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was seen in SoHo after attending an Islamic wellness retreat linked to controversial social media posts.
New York City First Lady Rama Duwaji was seen shopping in SoHo on Thursday evening, marking her first public appearance since returning from a controversial Islamic-centered wellness retreat. Duwaji, the wife of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was photographed strolling through the neighborhood with a friend.
<![CDATA[Rama Duwaji walks during a shopping trip in SoHo. Backgrid for NY Post]]>Duwaji visited several boutiques, including the MoMA Design Store and the Rachel Comey shop, known for its high-end fashion items. She was observed wearing a knee-length brown checked coat that she had previously worn to New York Fashion Week in February. Her outing included stops at 550 Broadway, which houses a spa and a workout studio.
<![CDATA[Rama Duwaji has become a style icon in some circles. Backgrid for NY Post]]>
The appearance comes after it was revealed that Duwaji participated in an "artist-in-residence" program at a retreat in Portugal. The organizers of this retreat, known as Women Sanctuary, were found to have made social media posts in October 2025 calling for the destruction of Israel and describing it as an "apartheid colonial state."
<![CDATA[Duwaji went shopping at the MoMA Design Store and the trendy Rachel Comey boutique. Backgrid for NY Post]]>
Duwaji's fashion choices have previously drawn attention, including her attire on inauguration day in January, where she wore $630 leather boots and a rented Balenciaga coat. She was styled for that event by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, a former Vogue contributing editor-at-large.