How Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter Ella Emhoff became a fashion It girl

This momentum and influence has only increased continuously since that very public debut at the 2021 inauguration. So where does she take things next? Emhoff founded her own knitwear label, Soft Hands, and launched a knit portraiture collection in 2022. 

In June 2024, she changed representation to United Talent Agency (UTA), a company which brokers deals for talents such as Kylie Minogue and Greta Gerwig. The move signifies a change in tack for Emhoff, moving from merely modelling to actively collaborating with brands, particularly with her knitwear label on the rise. 

“That’s what gets me so excited about the whole industry,” Emhoff has said of her ambitions and the opportunities she sees extending from her modelling profile. “I see my peers, especially people coming from New York who aren’t ‘models,’ but they’ll use their own image to amplify their work and their ideals. I think modelling now is not just about modelling, but it’s about creating space for people who do other things, whether it be art, activism, writing, any type of creation.”

It’s a strategy that could work out well for her. If Kamala Harris wins the 2024 US presidential election, Emhoff would be promoted to “First Daughter” come January.