“There is nothing new under the sun,” a wise king once wrote.
And the inauguration of Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City on Thursday is proving the point.
Further, the wardrobe choices of his wife, Rama Duwaji, are only amplifying the point even more.
Mamdani boldly declared in his inaugural address, “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”
MAYOR MAMDANI: “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.” pic.twitter.com/3LIOVHdKSy
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 1, 2026
He added, “We will govern without shame and insecurity, making no apology for what we believe. I was elected as a Democratic socialist, and I will govern as a Democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
The mayor maybe should have clued his wife in on the whole collectivist messaging thing, given her wardrobe choice.
The New York Post reported that Duwaji wore $630 “artisan” leather boots from a high-end European designer to her husband’s inauguration.
“Duwaji, a 28-year-old artist, gave more socialite than socialist on New Year’s Day as she apparently rocked one of the fashion house Miista’s pricey boot designs — one which is said to be crafted from ‘vegetable tan cow leather’ and feature an ‘ultra-cushioned memory foam insole,’” the outlet said.
The so-called “Shelly Boots,” handcrafted in Spain and Portugal, feature a 2.3-inch heel and a lace-up back.
NYC’s new First Lady Rama Duwaji in Miista Shelley boots at Zohran’s inauguration. pic.twitter.com/maP89fEowr
— Louis Pisano (@LouisPisano) January 1, 2026
Her wardrobe selection feels like something right out of George Orwell’s classic 1945 novella “Animal Farm.“
You may recall in the story, the animals rise against the greedy humans who were running the farm and proclaim under the new regime, “All animals will be equal.”
But most of the animals quickly find out that is not the case, as the pigs in charge start setting new rules that benefit themselves over the others on the farm.
In fact, Napoleon, the head pig, even starts wearing their former master’s expensive clothes and walking upright, while his female companion dons the Sunday-best silk dress of the former farm owner’s wife.
And the name of their property is changed from “Animal Farm” back to its original “Manor Farm.”
Finally, a new rule is issued to govern the realm: “All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.”
This was the lesson Orwell learned from watching socialism in the then-Soviet Union (now Russia).
Nobel-prize-winning economist Milton Friedman, in a famous exchange with talk show host Phil Donahue in 1979, highlighted this truth, too.
“Donahue asked Friedman, “When you see around the globe the maldistribution of wealth, the desperate plight of millions of people in underdeveloped countries, when you see so few haves and so many have nots, when you see the greed and the concentration of power, did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism and whether greed’s a good idea to run on?”
Friedman answered, “First of all, tell me, is there some society you know that doesn’t run on greed?”
“Do you think Russia doesn’t run on greed? You think China doesn’t run on greed?” he continued. “What is greed? Of course, none of us is greedy. It’s only the only fella who’s greedy.”
“The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests,” Friedman said. “The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus.”
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He argued that capitalism has been the only vehicle that allowed the masses to escape from grinding poverty, and the further societies depart from its principles, the worse off the people become.
“The record of history is absolutely crystal clear that there is no alternative way so far discovered of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system,” Friedman said.
“Is it really true that political self-interest is nobler, somehow, than economic self-interest? Just tell me where in the world you find these angels who are going to organize society for us? I don’t even trust you to do that,” the economist said to Donahue with a smile.
Another of Duwaji’s wardrobe choices sent a message, as well. The National reported that for Mamdani’s inauguration, she “chose a coat by Palestinian-Lebanese designer Cynthia Merhej and her brand Renaissance, Renaissance. Featuring a three-tiered fringe pattern, the custom faux fur and wool coat was made in Beirut and based on a design from the brand’s autumn/winter 2023 collection.”
Similarly, at Mamdani’s victory speech in November, his wife “wore a dark denim square-neck top made by Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zeid Hijazi along with dangling earrings by the upscale New York City jewelry designer Eddie Borgo, who sells some pairs for more than $46,000 a pop,” according to the New York Post.
Newsweek reported that Duwaji communicates pro-Palestinian messages in her artwork.
“While mostly working with digital media, she also makes ceramics. Her artwork often carries a strong political message, including criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and reflections on other crises in the Middle East,” the outlet said.
In Instagram posts, Duwaji accused Israel of engaging in “ethnic cleansing” and encouraged her followers last year to “keep your eyes on Gaza” in light of Israel’s bombing campaign targeting Hamas militants.
So Duwaji’s wardrobe sent two unmistakable messages. Under her husband’s regime, some people will be more equal than others, and the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel will be pro-Palestinian.
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