The 2021 Inauguration Day was immediately praised as the couture moment of the year,
ushering in a new fashion era in addition to the 46th President of the United States.
Yet it was Vice President Kamala Harris' stepdaughter, aspiring fashion designer Ella Emhoff , who
was crowned with the "it" look on Jan. 20, 2021.
"Very impressive."
Praising her Inauguration Day style, Glamour wrote,
"Emhoff's style — leather and sparkles, loose curls and a starched collar — has
spoken loud and clear: She's not here to conform."
And now even the New York modeling world is taking notice of the second daughter.
The Parsons School of Design textile student has signed to IMG Models.
Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman also was brought on by the famed agency that represents fashion
icons like Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss.
President of IMG Models Ivan Bart told The New York Times,
"Ella communicates this moment in time.
[...] There's a cheekiness and a joy she exudes."
Emhoff previously modeled on and off with a smaller agency, but was still surprised
to get the call from IMG.
She said,
"As someone who, like a lot of young girls out there, had self-confidence issues, it
is intimidating and scary to go into this world that is hyper-focused on you and the
body."
She added that she is, quote, "hoping to be "part of that change" to challenge the modeling
world with, quote, "really weird tattoos and kind of a funky haircut."
The artist is used to modeling her own handmade knitwear on Instagram, and previously told
Garage that she hopes to have her own fashion label someday, saying,
"I'd like to try and stay a one-woman show, but I think as stuff has started ramping up
with my knitwear, it's been harder.
[...] I'm only one woman, I can only make so many commissions while I'm also trying
to just enjoy life."
In addition to her foray in the fashion world, Emhoff, like her dad and stepmom, is politically
active.
Emhoff's passion for politics was part of her upbringing.
Growing up in California, Emhoff told The New York Times that she campaigned against
Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot measure to ban gay marriage, while stepmother Vice President
Kamala Harris was attorney general.
Over a decade later, Emhoff has found herself on a national stage.
She said,
"Now this is like, we're really in it.
We're learning the behind the scenes.
We're learning policy.
But we didn't ever say, like, 'Oh, we're going to be really political now!"
Emhoff even uses her knitwear company to do good.
She previously hosted a raffle for a pair of her handmade, quote, "Rainbow Brite-inspired
pants," with proceeds benefiting For The Gworls , an organization that fundraises for rent
and gender affirmation surgery for Black trangender people.
The Times UK even credited Emhoff's eclectic style as an indication of her civic assertion,
writing,
"Emhoff might be new to the political sphere, but she may yet make use of her new platform
— and she could certainly be an asset to Harris, a link to the priorities of a demographic
that's seeking change on a grand scale.
[...] At the very least, she might shake up the wardrobes at the White House."
In an interview alongside designer Batsheva , founder of the eponymous brand Batsheva
Hay, Emhoff revealed the inspiration behind her Inauguration Day look.
She told Vogue,
"My mood board was very 'little girl,' in a sense, a lot of scalloped collars and big
silhouette shoulders and small buttons.
[...] I was going for something girlier, to embrace my feminine side... because, like,
how many times do you prepare yourself to attend an inauguration?
Yet there has been some backlash to the blurring of politics and modeling.
While there has been an outpouring of support on social media for the, quote, "First Daughter
of Bushwick," as Emhoff has been dubbed, she is not without her critics.
Trolls have written on Emhoff's personal social media pages, but her fans are thankfully louder
than her enemies.
One supporter said it best in an Instagram comment, writing,
"[She's] bringing the swag to the White House.
The queen we are all waiting for."
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