Thousands braced the blustery winds and bone-chilling temperatures Thursday afternoon to celebrate Zohran Mamdani’s ceremonial swearing-in as New York City‘s 112th mayor.
While the 34-year-old Democrat was ceremonially sworn-in by Sen. Bernie Sanders, supporters lined up to enter a seven-block street party in lower Manhattan. That seemed to be a nod to what Mamdani has previously described as “a people-powered movement” of his campaign and election.
The New York City Police Department had prepared for a crowd of 40,000 people, according to one officer on the scene. A media request to the NYPD was not immediately returned Thursday.
The Uganda-born Mamdani is the first mayor in the city to have been sworn in with two copies of the Quran, underscoring his status as the city’s first Muslim mayor. He is also the first South Asian and African-born person to hold the role. He officially was sworn in after midnight at a private ceremony at the Old City Hall station with his wife Runa Duwaji by his side. For that occasion, he wore a dark suit and black coat, and Duwaji also sported an all-black ensemble with black ankle boots.
Hours later, the socialist Democrat wore a similar look, albeit with a different necktie, to be sworn in ceremonially by Sanders outside of City Hall. Duwaji, an illustrator and animator, wore a funnel-neck brown coat with brown lace-up boots.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) shakes hands with Mayor Zohran Mamdani after Mamdani’s ceremonial inauguration at City Hall Thursday January 1, 2026 in New York, NY as his wife Runa Duwaji looks on. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
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Many of the attendees huddled together, wearing hats, scarves and oversized coats. The street party was organized with a 48-person inauguration committee that included actor Cole Escola, novelist Colson Whitehead, comedian Julio Torres, author Min Jin Lee and “Sex and the City” actress Cynthia Nixon.
Sohaib Imtiaz, chief medical officer for People Inc., was joined by his two-year-old daughter Lyana and Sana Khan. “This is the start of a moment…Zohran stands up for those who need to be represented, but he also cares about New York City,” said Imtiaz.
Alice Farley, an artist, choreographer and costume designer, said she was looking forward to some semblance of socialism and some kind of respect for everybody. Braving the cold in an elaborate colorful knit mask, she said she bought it near from an immigrant Union Square, and when she returned to buy another one five minutes later, ICE had picked him up. “That is what this country and city is coming to,” she claimed.
One attendee at Thursday’s inauguration, Stephanie Faily, said she was hoping for more balanced living conditions especially in relation to the cost of living under the new mayor’s administration. “Immigration is also important,” she said.
Having waited 90 minutes to queue up for the block party, Ebrima Sanneh, an American Banker reporter, said that he wanted to be there mostly to see the crowd and all the generations from different parts of the city. “I’m excited about having a young progressive mayor. The biggest thing is whether he zeros in on policy because he gave himself little wiggle room,” Sanneh said.
Last week Diane von Furstenberg, who was integral to the revitalization of the Meatpacking District under Michael Bloomberg’s administration, said she believes the new mayor will do a good job. “He has a lot of energy. And even though his campaign was provocative, he is smart and will end up uniting people,” von Furstenberg said.
In advance of the inauguration, fashion designer Prabal Gurung said it was “deeply moving” to see Mamdani step into leadership “not just as New York’s first Muslim South Asian mayor, but as someone who so deeply embodies the city’s mosaic of identities. His story is one of migration, of family, of grit, it mirrors the experience of so many of us who call this city home.”
Gurung described the new mayor’s style as “effortless, confident, and purposeful.” He said, “It’s not about spectacle; it’s about substance. There’s a quiet sophistication to the way he presents himself, it’s functional, accessible, yet undeniably polished,” adding that Mamdani sees clothing as “a means of showing up for the people he represents.”
Among the independent designers and small business owners that make their collections in New York City, Gurung produces 90 percent of his signature collection here. The city’s fashion industry employs 180,000 people, accounting for 6 percent of its workforce and generating $10.9 billion in total wages, according to New York City’s Economic Development Corporation.
Gurung said, “Having a mayor who genuinely values working people and creative labor feels deeply affirming. It signals a new era for the city’s fashion ecosystem, one that recognizes that beauty, culture, and craftsmanship are as vital to New York’s economy as finance or tech. His leadership invites us to imagine a more inclusive, equitable, and truly local creative industry.”
Duwaji, a Syrian-American, is sure to attract more attention internationally as the city’s youngest First Lady. Her Instagram following has swelled from 182,000 to more than two million people since Mamdani won the election less than two months ago. She recently singled out Issey Miyake pieces from the ’90s and Laila Tara H’s Farsi numbers translated into textile pieces as being some of the things that make her want to create art. Her portfolio includes imagery for a Vogue feature that drew back the curtain on nine workers in New York City’s garment district.
Her pixie haircut, low-key and faintly offbeat style is said to resonate with Gen Z city dwellers. On election night, Duwaji wore a black ensemble including a sleeveless denim top by Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zeid Hijazi featuring laser-etched embroidery and a skirt reportedly from Ulla Johnson. Media requests to both companies were not returned Thursday.
During the campaign, her husband was known to be a fan of Suitsupply, Uniqlo and J. Crew, among other labels.
