Zohran Mamdani Wore a Suit to the Knicks Parade. His Wife Rama Duwaji Wore a Dress Stitched from Three Bootleg Knicks Tees

The dress was a one-shoulder, cascading T-shirt number in blue, white, and orange, made by independent New York designer Miss Claire Sullivan out of three different bootleg Knicks tees sourced from street vendors. Duwaji, 28, layered it over a black skirt and finished the look with orange pompom earrings at Thursday’s ticker-tape parade and Key to the City ceremony at City Hall.

Sullivan, a 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist, told Vogue the dress came together in a weekend. “My entire family is from New York, but have all since moved away, and everyone was texting me about wanting Knicks shirts,” she said. “I wasn’t able to go to any of the street vendors myself, so my friends helped me source. When I saw how many colors there were, I was inspired to get one in every color and turn them into a dress.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji share a laugh at New York City Hall during the Knicks championship parade on June 18, 2026 — he in a suit layered over a No. 3 Knicks jersey, she in a one-shoulder top cut from bootleg NBA Finals tees. Photo by Dylan Martinez / Reuters.

Mamdani, the city’s mayor, stood next to her in a suit jacket, shirt, and tie, with a Josh Hart jersey pulled on over the top.

Reaction split immediately. One camp called it “peak NYC energy” and a “generational icon” moment. Another asked, “Is this the way the NYC First Lady should dress to represent NYC?” and called it “classless.”

Mamdani throws his head back laughing while Duwaji and New York Governor Kathy Hochul — wearing a Knicks varsity jacket — look on during the City Hall ceremony following the championship parade. Photo by Brad Penner / Imagn Images.

Duwaji, a Texas-born Syrian American animator and illustrator, is the youngest First Lady in New York City history. The Knicks won their first NBA title since 1973 with a 94-90 Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Thanks for spending time with Thought Catalog. Connect with us on Facebook and browse the rest of our website.