New York City’s First Lady, Rama Duwaji, was seen shopping in Soho on Thursday evening, marking her first public appearance since her involvement in a recent controversy surrounding her participation in an overseas retreat. Duwaji, who is married to Mayor Mamdani, visited several high-end boutiques, including the MoMA Design Store and Rachel Comey, a fashion retailer known for luxury items priced over $1,000.

Duwaji was dressed in a knee-length brown checked coat, a piece she previously wore to the Diotima show during New York Fashion Week earlier this year. Accompanied by photographer Eli Rezkallah, she appeared upbeat, wearing black heeled boots and sunglasses as they walked along Broadway.

This outing comes in the wake of public scrutiny following revelations that Duwaji served as an artist-in-residence at a retreat in Portugal last month, hosted by a group known as Women Sanctuary. The organization has posted statements on social media calling for the dismantling of Israel, describing it as an “apartheid colonial state” responsible for genocide against Palestinians. Women Sanctuary’s posts from October 2025 also advocate for “abolishing the colonial apartheid state of Israel” and call for Palestinian liberation.

Supporters of Duwaji praise her for her distinctive fashion sense and public presence. Her wardrobe choices have frequently attracted attention, including wearing designer pieces such as $630 leather boots on loan from Miista and a vintage Balenciaga coat rented for the mayoral inauguration in January. Her style is often curated by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, a stylist and former Vogue contributing editor-at-large, who resigned from her editorial role after expressing strong anti-Israel sentiments.

While some view Duwaji’s fashion and affiliations as a personal expression, others have raised concerns over the political implications of her association with Women Sanctuary and their rhetoric. The First Lady has not publicly addressed the controversy surrounding the retreat or the group’s statements.

Thursday’s shopping excursion signals Duwaji’s continued visibility in the city’s cultural and fashion spheres despite the ongoing debate linked to her recent activities abroad.