New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani chose not to attend the 2026 Met Gala in a move regarded as bucking a convention observed for decades. Instead, he highlighted six fashion industry workers.
“While the world’s eyes are on fashion’s biggest night, we’re turning ours to the garment, retail, and warehouse workers who keep the industry running,” he wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
“From true love found on the picket line to a free tailoring school out of a Brooklyn basement — meet the New Yorkers who make it all possible.”
Mamdani, who was invited along with his wife, Rama Duwaji (whose fashion sense has also made headlines), had mentioned at an interview with the publication HellGate that he would not be attending the Met Gala.
He has always advocated for high taxes on millionaires and his decision not to attend the gala also reflects his political positioning. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, were the honorary chairs of this year’s event.
The six industry workers the 34-year-old mayor of the Big Apple extolled were tailor Hafeez Raza; tailor and union organiser Christopher Anderson; former Amazon delivery employees and activists Latrice Johnson and Lamont Hopewell; tailor Sonia Castrejón; and Macy’s employee and union organiser Earnestine Gay.
Mamdani also shared the photos of the workers who, according to him, reflected the real workforce of New York City.
His absence was also notable because NYC mayors have traditionally attended the gala as a show of support for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Former mayor Eric Adams attended the 2022 event in a tuxedo emblazoned with the message “End Gun Violence” on the back.
Bill de Blasio attended the 2021 event alongside Chirlane McCray and their son, Dante. While Michael Bloomberg had also attended the gala several times