Ella Emhoff Brought Brooklyn To Inauguration Day & It Was Perfect

While all eyes were understandably trained on the looks of Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, and Michelle Obama, Second Daughter Ella Emhoff was taking her place as one of the White House’s new style icons. Vice President Kamala Harris’ step daughter wore a black face mask, wide-collar blouse, and gorgeous, embellished Miu Miu knit coat on Inauguration Day. And in doing so, she brought a little Brooklyn energy to this day.

This may be the first time some of us are hearing about her, but a cursory look on Twitter and TikTok will show that a growing number of young people are taking style notes from Ella Emhoff, who is in her last year of school at Parsons.

Emhoff is every bit the New York fashion student.x She lives in Bushwick, loves eclectic knitwear (that she makes herself!), and prefers more environmentally friendly slow fashion. Even before the inauguration, she was poised to shake up the often traditional Washington D.C. style with her unabashedly artsy taste. And it’s about time! Someone had to inject the Capitol with some color and individuality. 

During the momentous ceremony, Twitter lit up with fans of Emhoff’s style. In the least-divided vote we’ve seen this entire election, it seems like the internet unanimously decided that the Second Daughter is officially the coolest person to enter the White House.

With her burgeoning taste-maker status growing, many speculated about what she would wear today. Even Emhoff floated some pretty unexpected options for the usually staid fashion event. In a November interview with Garage, Emhoff said she was considering wearing a handmade knit suit on the big day. “I want to, but like I was saying before, my style and my practice are so different, but I think I might have to just make an exception for such a momentous occasion, I think it does require a pretty momentous outfit,” she said. 

In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, Emhoff has reportedly kept her mind on her senior thesis and growing her own knitwear brand. Oh, and learning how to tattoo, revealing that she’s already given herself a few stick and poke pieces. Recently, she hosted a raffle for a pair of her Rainbow Brite-inspired knit pants. All of the proceeds went to a mutual aid fund For The Gworls, which raises money for rent and gender affirmation surgery for Black trans people. 

With any luck, this will just be the first of many iconic looks from Emhoff that we will be looking to recreate over the next four years.