“I was very surprised when everything about IMG was happening because when I was younger, I never saw it as part of my timeline,” said Emhoff.
The second daughter, Ella Emhoff, joined one of the most prestigious modeling agencies.
As the New York Times first reported on Thursday, Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris’s 21-year-old stepdaughter, signed with IMG Models, just over a week after going viral for the stylish Miu Miu coat that she used at the opening earlier this month.
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“I was very surprised when everything about IMG was happening because when I was younger, I never saw it as part of my timeline,” Emhoff told the NY Times, reacting to the news.
“As someone who, like many girls out there, had self-confidence issues, it’s intimidating and scary to enter this world that is hyperfocused on you and the body,” she said, adding that she is happy to be “part of that change” in what she says respect to the growing diversity in today’s industry.
Last year, Emhoff – who is a senior in fine art at Parsons School of Design in New York – worked as a model for a small agency. However, now with her new contract at IMG, she joins a list of famous models, including Gigi and Bella Hadid, Karlie Kloss and Ashley Graham. Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman also signed with IMG earlier this week.
IMG Models President Ivan Bart said he first noticed Emhoff’s style at an event for Harris during the 2020 presidential primaries. Then, last summer, Bart and Emhoff discussed the model possibly by joining IMG.
At the inauguration ceremony of President Biden and VP Harris earlier this month, Emhoff became a trend subject due to his stylish attire, which included a Batsheva dress under the Miu Miu coat.
“What she wore and who she was that day was in agreement with the person I met. That’s why everyone noticed her,” explained Bart, saying that Emhoff was “communicating fashion.”
Speaking more about Emhoff joining IMG, Bart said: “It is no longer about shape, size or gender. Ella communicates this moment in time. There is a cheeky air and a joy that she exudes.”
Emhoff is the daughter of the second gentleman Doug Emhoff, married to Harris since 2014.
The model, who calls Harris “Momala”, said her family was hesitant about her becoming a model in the past. However, Emhoff said that things changed when they saw his “interest in it and saw what is changing in that world”.
“I think they are very excited that I can be a part of this.”
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