Mayor Mamdani releases portfolio highlighting fashion workers
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 4
Mayor Mamdani releases portfolio highlighting fashion workers
7 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 4
Hours before New York's Met Gala, he showcased six workers, including Saks and Macy's staff and former Amazon employees backing a direct-employment bill.
The mayor, who had already said he would skip the gala, said seamstresses, tailors, retail workers and delivery drivers deserved recognition for sustaining the city's fashion industry.
The move came amid protests over class tensions and Jeff Bezos's sponsorship, including a Ball Without Billionaires rally and activist actions targeting the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Will the mayor’s symbolic gala snub translate into real legal protections for Amazon’s delivery drivers and fashion workers?
As AI transforms fashion, can new laws truly protect models and creators from digital exploitation by their own employers?
Can a city tax its billionaires to fund public services without driving their immense wealth and businesses away?
“The Hands That Dress Us”: Mamdani’s Photo Portfolio and Met Gala Protest Amplify Immigrant Labor Rights in NYC
Overview
In May 2026, Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched the photo portfolio "The Hands That Dress Us," highlighting the often invisible labor of New York City's fashion workers, including immigrant tailors and former Amazon employees advocating for labor reforms. Simultaneously, Mamdani made a bold political statement by skipping the Met Gala, protesting its $10 million sponsorship by Jeff Bezos amid ongoing investigations into Amazon's labor practices. This act, along with activist protests and union support, fueled a growing backlash demanding better wages, safer conditions, and stronger worker protections. Mamdani’s portfolio and boycott helped energize labor movements and prompted his administration to expand enforcement against corporate labor violations.