Ella Emhoff, daughter of second gentleman Doug Emhoff and stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, caught the nation’s attention thanks to her now infamous Miu Miu inauguration coat and a moment of unplanned eyebrow wiggling toward Mike Pence. Since then, Emhoff has graduated from Parsons, launched her first knitwear collection, and signed with IMG Models. From her Fashion Week lodgings in Paris, Emhoff is carefully mum about all things Momala but candid about her newfound notoriety and her own future in politics.
SHE SPENT her childhood in Los Angeles biking around the Venice canals but “didn’t feel like I was able to fully grow into myself until I moved to New York.”
HER MOM taught her how to knit at a Disneyland hotel when she was a child. Her capsule collection (with Batsheva Hay) launched this spring, with hopes of a full line: “It’s probably just going to be Ella Emhoff.”
THIS ISN’T how she expected to get into modeling, “which I think makes it all kind of more exciting.” She got her first offers on Instagram and had done a few smaller projects before her exposure catapulted her to top designers’ attention.
PARIS COUTURE WEEK was her first “semi-live” modeling gig, for Balenciaga, following her pandemic virtual runway debut for Proenza Schouler in February. “I’m nervous, because I am not really good at walking in heels,” she said prior to the show.
SHE CONFIRMS she is dating Samuel Hine, an editor at GQ, and describes her perfect date as a stop at the market, buying the wackiest produce, and figuring out what to cook with it. She also insists on adding soft-boiled eggs when and wherever possible.
ON POLITICS: “My dad asks me very often, ‘So have you reconsidered law school?’ And I keep saying, ‘Doug, not happening. I’m going to leave it to you, and I will be the artist.’ ”
SHE’S READY for a new style. “I am growing my hair out. Heard it here first. It had its moment, and I want to move on from the mullet. I’m ready for the big curly mane.”
BUT SHE STILL LOVES her inauguration outfit. “I still dream about that coat, but I feel like if I ever wore that [again], it would just be like, ‘Really? We get it.’ ”
HAIR, NIKKI NELMS; MAKEUP, WILLIAM SCOTT; MANICURE, ERI ISHIZU; SET DESIGN, MATT JACKSON. PRODUCED ON LOCATION BY BAD GAL PRODUCTIONS; LOCATION, ELK STUDIO, BROOKLYN. FOR DETAILS, GO TO VF.COM/CREDITS.
— Behind the Scenes of Anthony Bourdain’s Iconic Nude Portrait
— Will TikTok Save the Olympics?
— King Edward VIII, King George VI, and the Rift That Changed History
— New Summer Books for Every Mood
— Jeff Bezos and the Life-Changing Magic of Going to Space
— The Best Next-Gen Face Toners for Balanced Skin
— Jared and Ivanka Have Reportedly Closed on Billionaire Bunker Mansion 2.0
— The Rehabilitation of Prince Edward and Sophie
— From the Archive: How John Kennedy Gracefully Took His Place in History
— Sign up for The Buyline to receive a curated list of fashion, books, and beauty buys in one weekly newsletter.
