A thobe or kurta? Behind New York mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Arsenal outfit
The mayor and long-time Gunners fan attended Eid al-Adha prayers on Wednesday wearing a custom Arsenal robe
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani attended Eid al-Adha prayers in the Bronx on Wednesday wearing a custom Arsenal-themed kurta… or did he?
While the outfit delighted Arsenal and football fans around the world, some social media users argued that the garment is not a kurta — a tunic traditionally worn in South Asia — but a thobe, a traditional male dress from the Gulf. A form of the thobe, called kanzu, is part of the national costume in several east African countries including Uganda, where Mamdani was born. His family moved to the US when he was seven.
The designer Jason Andrew confirmed on a post on Instagram that it was in fact a kurta, inspired by his mother and grandmother’s seamstress legacy and crafted with tailor Raymond Sergeant.
What is a kurta?
A kurta is a popular garment across the Indian subcontinent, worn by both men and women. Traditionally it is collarless and extends to or just past the knees. The tunic evolved over many centuries, with most scholars tracing its origins to late antiquity in central Asia.
In India, the kurta began to grow in popularity with the military incursion of Mahmud of Ghazni in the 12th century before becoming widespread under the Mughal Empire from the 16th century.
Today, different regional variations of the garment can be found across the world and the outfit can be seen on the high street as well as red carpets events.
Riz Ahmed made headlines when he wore a silk Prada kurta to the premier of his 2021 sci-fi film, Encounter, while singer Zayn Malik has worn kurtas in several photoshoots, most recently in the April issue of Elle India, where he modelled an embroidered kurta by the Indian designer Jatin Malik. The former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s long-standing affection for the garment, meanwhile, had earned him scrutiny and ridicule.
What is a kanzu?
A kanzu is a floor-length loose tunic worn by men in the Great Lakes region of east Africa. The garment is a variation of the thobe which was introduced to the region by Arab traders in the 19th century, and today it is part of national dress in Tanzania and Uganda.
Mamdani is not the only one to sport a custom Arsenal outfit to support the club. TikTok user Hamdaanfashionz — a fellow fan and tailor from Uganda — showed off his own intricate Arsenal-inspired kanzu design which he made for his entire family ahead of the final. Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, has been seen wearing a thobe while celebrating with teammates.
Why Arsenal?
Mamdani’s custom outfit is based on Arsenal’s navy and red lightning bolt away shirt of 2025-26 — which concluded on Sunday with them lifting the Premier League trophy for the first time in 22 years.
The club is known for its role in championing multicultural representation in British football, a diversity that is reflected in its fan base around the world. Fans dressed in red were seen dancing in the street in Mumbai and jumping on cars in Addis Ababa. Arsenal has a particular connection to Black British identity — in 2002, it became the first club to have nine Black players in the Premier League starting XI.
Mamdani is said to have supported the north London team from the age of 10 when his uncle bought him a set of Gunners fridge magnets of star players Sol Campbell and Thierry Henry — part of the “invincibles” team who last won the Premier League title for Arsenal.
“There’s just a wave of excitement that washes over you as you’re processing, we’ve been waiting for this for so long, it didn’t feel real,” Mamdani told GQ after the historic win.
