Is it a kurta? A thobe? A kandura?
Depending on which part of the world you are in, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani’s viral Arsenal-themed Eid Al Adha outfit likely goes by a different name.
Social media has lit up with comments about the outfit, with many users asking where they can buy the custom design. New York Post, the conservative American tabloid, described it as “a garish jersey”.
“I am honoured to be New York City’s first Muslim Mayor and I am determined to lead through solidarity,” Mamdani wrote on Instagram alongside photographs of him celebrating Eid with members of New York’s diverse Muslim diaspora in the Bronx. The post has received more than one million likes and thousands of shares.
“Our solidarity is our strength,” he added, signing off with “Eid Saeed” or "Happy Eid".
Mamdani was accompanied at the event by US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who paired her black suit with a headscarf.
Eid Al Adha is the second of the two major Islamic festivals observed each year, following Eid Al Fitr. Its name translates to the Festival of the Sacrifice and commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command.
The occasion also coincides with the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah, one of the five pillars of Islam.
But what exactly was Mamdani wearing?
While some headlines described the outfit as a “robe”, others called it a thobe, commonly worn by men in the Gulf region. In the UAE, it is known as a kandura, while in Kuwait, Iraq and Oman it is sometimes called a dishdasha.
From its structured collar and detailed embroidery to its paired trousers, Mamdani’s outfit appeared to lean much more towards South Asian kurta styling than Gulf Arab dress. A thobe or Emirati kandura is typically longer, looser and more robe-like in structure, usually extending to the ankles in a single flowing silhouette. Mamdani’s look instead resembled the more tailored cuts associated with festive South Asian menswear, complete with the slits on the side.
Still, conversations surrounding the outfit revealed something larger than fashion alone. What people saw often depended on their own cultural frame of reference. And in many ways, that layered interpretation mirrors Mamdani himself, who embodies several identities at once.
Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, he's married to Syrian artist Rama Duwaji and is now one of the most recognisable political figures in the US. He's South Asian, East African, American, Muslim and a football fan.
His Arsenal-themed outfit, complete with Emirates branding, also reflects that overlap. Unlike Arsenal’s traditional red-and-white home colours, Mamdani’s outfit appeared to draw more heavily from the club’s darker away-kit palette, incorporating shades of blue and black with red detailing.
Mamdani has previously spoken openly about his attachment to the north London football club, thanks to its historic African players, a connection that he said resonated with him growing up in East Africa.
That football detail is also timely as the US prepares to host the 2026 Fifa World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico next month.
Perhaps the reason Mamdani’s outfit resonated so widely online was because to some viewers, it looked South Asian. To others, Middle Eastern. While others focused on the football references.
The reality is that the outfit resisted a singular definition. And perhaps that was precisely the point.
