Ella Emhoff | |
---|---|
Born | Ella Rose Emhoff May 29, 1999 |
Education | Parsons School of Design ( BFA) |
Occupations |
|
Agent | IMG Models |
Political party | Democratic |
Parent(s) |
Doug Emhoff (father) Kerstin Emhoff (mother) |
Relatives | Kamala Harris (stepmother) |
Ella Rose Emhoff (born May 29, 1999) [1] is an American model, artist, and fashion designer. As the daughter of U.S. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and stepdaughter of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, she is a member of the Second Family of the United States.
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 of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, a spokesperson for Emhoff clarified that Ella does not identify as Jewish. [5] [6] She has an older brother, Cole. [7] Her parents divorced in 2008. [2] [8] [9] In August 2014, her father married Kamala Harris, a lawyer who was then serving as the Attorney General of California. [8] [10] Emhoff and her brother coined the term "Momala" for their stepmother. [4] [11] Emhoff, whose family are members of the Democratic Party, was raised around politics. [12] [13] She and her family, as supporters of same-sex marriage in California, were active in fighting against the 2008 California Proposition 8. [12] [13] In 2016, her stepmother was elected to the United States Senate, representing California. [14] In 2021, she became a member of the second family when her stepmother was sworn in as the Vice President of the United States.
Emhoff graduated from Wildwood School, where she was a member of the swimming and basketball teams, in 2018. [7] [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 she graduated in May 2021. [7] [11]
In 2014, Emhoff made a cameo in the music video for Bo Burnham's song " Repeat Stuff". [7]
Emhoff designs jackets, hats, coats, and knitted shorts, which she sells from her Instagram account and her website. [12] [13] [15] She also sells ceramics, paintings, and drawings from her website. [16] [17]
In January 2021, Emhoff was signed with IMG Models worldwide, an international modelling agency based in New York City. [11] [18] [19] She has gained attention from the BBC and the New York Times for having tattoos and refusing to shave 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. [11] [13] [22] Viola, her modeling agent, signed her to his agency in September 2019.
She is a member of The 3% Movement, an organization focused on increasing the number of women creative directors in the United States. [23]
Emhoff lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn and has been called "The First Daughter of Bushwick". [3] [12] [21] Her family has homes in Brentwood, Los Angeles; South of Market, San Francisco; and West End, Washington, D.C. [24]
She is a supporter of LGBT rights, particularly as an advocate for the rights of transgender people. [13] In 2020, she announced she would support the organization For the Gworls, a black, transgender-led collective that fundraises money to help black transgender people pay for rent, gender affirming surgery, travel, and medical care. [13] [17] [25]
Emhoff spoke in the broadcast of the 2020 Democratic National Convention in August 2020. [3] [26]
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 [7] [21] [5] [13] As of August 2021 [update], Emhoff is dating GQ editor Sam Hine. [27]
In November 2023, it was reported that she conducted a fund-raising campaign for Gaza during the ongoing Israel–Hamas war. [28]
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] [11] [29] Vogue said that Emhoff's inauguration outfit "perfectly married her signature Brooklyn quirk with the solemnity of the occasion" and stated that "[Emhoff] wouldn't be hewing to any outdated notions of what a White House-adjacent young woman should dress like." [3] [30] After the inauguration, Emhoff's Instagram following increased from 50,000 followers to over 300,000 in less than a week. [3] [11] [31] Fashion retailer Lyst reported that, after footage of Emhoff went viral on Twitter and TikTok, [32] [33] Miu Miu saw a 455% increase in internet searches six hours after the inauguration. [34] She had also received attention for her skirt, tie, and Thom Browne coat she wore to the National COVID-19 Memorial in Washington, D.C., the night before the inauguration. [11] [35]
... although Ella's birthday is not until 29 May, it could well have been an early celebration.