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Ella Emhoff

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Ella Emhoff
Emhoff in 2024
Born
Ella Rose Emhoff

(1999-05-29) May 29, 1999 (age 25)
EducationParsons School of Design (BFA)
Occupations
  • Fashion designer
  • artist
  • model
Known forMember of the Second Family of the United States since January 20, 2021
Political partyDemocratic
Parent(s)Doug Emhoff (father)
Kerstin Emhoff (mother)
Kamala Harris (stepmother)

Ella Rose Emhoff (born May 29, 1999)[1] is an American artist and fashion designer. As the daughter of U.S. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, she is a member of the Second Family of the United States.

Early life and education

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Emhoff was born to Douglas Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer,[2] and Kerstin Emhoff (née Mackin), a film producer.[3] She was named after the jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald.[4] Although her father is Jewish, Emhoff is not Jewish and Judaism is "not something she grew up with".[5][6] Her parents divorced in 2008, when she was 9 years old.[2][7][8]

In August 2014, when she was 15, her father married Kamala Harris, a lawyer then serving as Attorney General of California.[7][9] Emhoff and her brother coined the term "Momala" for their stepmother.[4][10] Emhoff, whose family members belong to the Democratic Party, was raised around politics.[11][12] She and her family, as supporters of same-sex marriage in California, were active in fighting against the 2008 California Proposition 8.[11][12] In 2016, when she was 17, her stepmother was elected to the United States Senate, representing California.[13]

In 2017, Emhoff graduated from Wildwood School, where she was a member of the swimming and basketball teams.[14][4] She was a student at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she majored in fine arts with a concentrated focus in apparel and textiles and graduated in 2021.[14][10]

Career

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In 2014, Emhoff made a cameo appearance in the music video for Bo Burnham's song "Repeat Stuff".[14]

Emhoff designs jackets, hats, coats, and knitted shorts, which she sells from her Instagram account and her website.[11][12][15] She also sells ceramics, paintings, and drawings from her website.[16][17]

In January 2021, Emhoff signed with IMG Models Worldwide, an international modeling agency based in New York City.[10][18][19] She has gained attention from the BBC and the New York Times for having tattoos and not shaving her armpit hair.[3][20] The agency announced her contract on Twitter.[21] Earlier, she was featured in an editorial for the independent fashion magazine Buffalo Zine.[10][12][22] Viola, her modeling agent, signed her to his agency in September 2019.

Emhoff is a member of The 3% Movement, an organization focused on increasing the number of women creative directors in the United States.[23]

In 2021, she founded Soft Hands, a company focused on exploring "opportunities in fashion, design, creative consulting, and hosting events."[24] Her mother taught her how to knit at age six.[25] In 2023, she debuted "Ella Emhoff Likes to Knit," a pop-up presentation at New York Fashion Week. In 2024, she exhibited knit paintings at Gotham, a gallery in New York City.[26] On August 29, 2024, Emhoff announced the temporary suspension of her Soft Hands Knitting Club due to security concerns related to her stepmother's presidential campaign. In a video posted to Instagram, Emhoff explained that she needed to pause the club's activities to protect herself and other members.[27][28]

Public image

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Emhoff (right) and her brother Cole (left) at the 59th Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2021
Emhoff with her father Doug Emhoff, stepmother Kamala Harris, and brother Cole, in June 2024

Emhoff lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and has been called "The First Daughter of Bushwick".[3][11][21]

She is a supporter of LGBT rights, particularly as an advocate for the rights of transgender people.[12] In 2020, she announced she would support the organization For the Gworls, a black, transgender-led collective that raises money to help black transgender people pay for rent, gender-affirming surgery, travel, and medical care.[12][17][29]

Emhoff spoke in the broadcast of the 2020 Democratic National Convention in August 2020.[3][30] On January 20, 2021, Emhoff attended the 59th U.S. Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C., where her stepmother was sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States[14][21][5][12]

During the Israel–Hamas war, Emhoff encouraged her 318,000 Instagram followers to donate to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund.[31] However, after accusations surfaced that some UNRWA staff participated in the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, she removed the link.[32][33]

Emhoff, along with Helena Hudlin and Meena Harris, Kamala Harris's goddaughter and niece respectively, spoke onstage during the 2024 Democratic National Convention.[34]

Fashion

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Emhoff received international media attention at the inauguration due to her outfits, including a dress she co-designed with Batsheva Hay and a jewel-encrusted Miu Miu coat.[3][10][35] Vogue wrote that Emhoff's inauguration outfit "perfectly married her signature Brooklyn quirk with the solemnity of the occasion" and that Emhoff "wouldn't be hewing to any outdated notions of what a White House-adjacent young woman should dress like."[3][36] After the inauguration, Emhoff's Instagram following increased from 50,000 followers to over 300,000 in less than a week.[3][10][37] Fashion retailer Lyst reported that, after footage of Emhoff went viral on Twitter and TikTok,[38][39] Miu Miu saw a 455% increase in internet searches six hours after the inauguration.[40] She also received attention for the skirt, tie, and Thom Browne coat she wore to the national COVID-19 memorial in Washington, D.C., the night before the inauguration.[10][41]

Emhoff previously dated GQ fashion writer Sam Hine.[42]

References

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  1. ^ McKnight, Jenni (May 14, 2021). "Kamala Harris celebrates exciting news for stepdaughter Ella Emhoff". Hello!. Retrieved June 17, 2021. ... although Ella's birthday is not until 29 May, it could well have been an early celebration.
  2. ^ a b North, Anna (January 22, 2021). "Doug Emhoff, wife guy extraordinaire". Vox. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Ella Emhoff: Who is IMG's latest model?". BBC News. January 29, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Harris, Kamala (May 10, 2019). "Sen. Kamala Harris on Being 'Momala'". Elle. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Tolsky, Molly (January 25, 2021). "We Were Wrong to Assume Ella Emhoff Is Jewish". Alma. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  6. ^ Rudoren, Jodi (January 22, 2021). "Ella Emhoff isn't Jewish (and she doesn't want to talk about it)". The Forward. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Goldstein, Jessica M. (October 5, 2020). "Doug Emhoff Is the Good Husband". Marie Claire. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Gonzales, Erica (January 21, 2021). "Kamala Harris's Stepchildren Were at Her Side at the Inauguration". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  9. ^ Kahn, Mattie (October 28, 2020). "Zooming With Doug, Cole, and Ella Emhoff a Week Before the Election". Glamour. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Friedman, Vanessa; Testa, Jessica (January 28, 2021). "Ella Emhoff Gets a Major Modeling Contract". The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d Bennett, Jessica (January 17, 2021). "What's It Like to Have Kamala Harris as 'Momala'? We Asked Her Stepkids". The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Walters, Meg (January 22, 2021). "The Untold Truth Of Ella Emhoff". The List. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  13. ^ Mihalik, Lily; Pesce, Anthony; Welsh, Ben (2016). "Live California election results". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  14. ^ a b c d Pomarico, Nicole (January 19, 2021). "Ella Emhoff Opens Up About Real Life With Kamala Harris As Her Stepmom". YourTango. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  15. ^ Truman, Isabelle. "Kamala Harris' Stepdaughter Ella Emhoff Stole The Show In Miu Miu". Grazia.
  16. ^ Elan, Priya (January 29, 2021). "Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris's stepdaughter, signs with IMG Models". The Guardian.
  17. ^ a b Kemp, Sophie (November 20, 2020). "Finally, a Slow Fashion King at the White House". Vice.
  18. ^ Specter, Emma (January 29, 2021). "Ella Emhoff Has Signed a Modeling Contract With IMG". Teen Vogue.
  19. ^ Cope, Rebecca (January 29, 2021). "Kamala Harris's stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman signed to IMG Models". Tatler.
  20. ^ Frank, Allegra (January 29, 2021). "Forgive Me for Not Celebrating the Quirky Second Daughter Landing a Modeling Contract". Slate Magazine.
  21. ^ a b c Grindell, Samantha (January 29, 2021). "Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff signs with IMG Models after being called a 'style icon'". Insider.
  22. ^ Byck, Daniella (January 28, 2021). "Of Course Ella Emhoff Got a Modeling Contract. She's Already Mastered the Art of Posing".
  23. ^ "Ella | 3 Percent Movement". www.3percentmovement.com.
  24. ^ "About". Ella Emhoff. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  25. ^ Childs, Emma (August 14, 2024). "Ella Emhoff Never Intended to Be an It Girl—All She Wants Is to Knit". Marie Claire. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  26. ^ Burack, Emily (2024-08-20). "Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris's Stepdaughter, Is a Multidisciplinary Artist". Town & Country. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  27. ^ Hebert, Olivia (2024-08-31). "Ella Emhoff reveals she's been forced to give up knitting club over security concerns". The Independent. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  28. ^ Schwab Dunn, Billie (2024-08-29). "Kamala Harris' stepdaughter pauses club to "protect myself" amid election". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  29. ^ "Kamala Harris' Stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, Supports This Trans-Led Org". Out. January 12, 2021.
  30. ^ Summers, Juana (December 9, 2020). "As A Stepparent, Kamala Harris Puts 'Families You Choose' In The Spotlight". NPR.
  31. ^ Diver, Tony (2024-03-16). "Kamala Harris's stepdaughter supports UN agency whose 'staff participated in Oct 7 attacks'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  32. ^ Kornbluh, Jacob (2024-03-17). "Vice President Harris' stepdaughter urged her social media followers to donate to U.N. agency accused of aiding Hamas". The Forward. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  33. ^ Farah, Lynn (2024-03-20). "Meet Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris' controversial Gen Z model stepdaughter". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  34. ^ "Meena Harris, Ella Emhoff and Helena Hudlin praise Harris as an 'extraordinary woman'". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  35. ^ Midkiff, Sarah (20 January 2021). "Ella Emhoff Brought Brooklyn To Inauguration Day & It Was Perfect". Refinery29.
  36. ^ Specter, Emma (January 20, 2021). "How Ella Emhoff and Batsheva Hay Came Up With an Inauguration-Worthy Dress". Vogue.
  37. ^ Mondalek, Alexandra (January 28, 2021). "US Second Daughter Ella Emhoff Signs to IMG Models". The Business of Fashion.
  38. ^ Schmidt, Ann (January 28, 2021). "Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff signs contract with IMG Models". Fox News.
  39. ^ Huber, Eliza (November 20, 2020). "Kamala Harris' Step-Daughter Ella Emhoff Might Knit Her Own Inauguration Look". Refinery29.
  40. ^ Palumbo, Jacqui (January 29, 2021). "Inauguration star Ella Emhoff signs major modeling deal". CNN.
  41. ^ Goldberg, Carrie (January 20, 2021). "Ella Emhoff Wears Miu Miu and Batsheva to the Inauguration". Harper's Bazaar.
  42. ^ Caruso, Skyler (October 14, 2024). "All About Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris' Fashion Model Stepdaughter". People. Dotdash Meredith.
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