Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, just signed to modeling and talent agency IMG.
The New York Times reports that the 21-year-old had a modest following on social media before the Presidential Inauguration, spurred by her quirky knitwear designs and art-kid sense of style and humor. But her Thom Browne suit and Miu Miu coat worn in front of a global audience last week catapulted her into the spotlight in a big way. Soon, searches for her name were going viral, and her social media following jumped from 50,000 to 300,000.
It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that Emhoff was pursued by IMG, the talent agency that represents everyone from Paloma Elsesser to Kacey Musgraves and more. In joining the agency, Emhoff follows in the footsteps of fellow Inauguration show-stealer Amanda Gorman, the poet whose work captivated the nation and the world.
On the day the contract was announced in the New York Times, Emhoff’s Instagram still featured mostly pictures of her knitwear, and she was sharing posts in her stories about how to support and protect trans women. The publication hinted that she might start appearing in fashion spreads soon.
Though Emhoff said that her family was initially hesitant about the contract because “they were a little protective of me,” it seems like they’ve warmed up to the idea, she told the Times. As far as Emhoff is concerned, the bigger platform will allow her to do knitwear fundraisers for causes she cares about, as well as allow her “to bring a bit of Bushwick into the high fashion realm.”
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