How Doug Emhoff's Daughter Ella Makes Her Money

Former Vice President Kamala Harris' stepdaughter (through husband Doug Emhoff), Ella Emhoff, has been living quite a lavish life since her 2021 foray into the spotlight. She caught the eye of fashion critics at Joe Biden's presidential inauguration, donning a stunning plaid Miu Miu coat, which instantly labeled her as a style icon. And for those asking what she has been doing since, Ella is booked and busy. Soon after wowing the public with her fashionable taste, the daughter of Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, signed a contract with IMG Models. But her true passion lies in creating. Ella is a fiber artist and has curated a slew of unique textile pieces — exhibited at NYC's Gotham art gallery — that wholeheartedly embody her oddball sense of style, which endearingly suits her.

Ella is also making her mark on the slow fashion movement. In 2021, the Parsons School of Design graduate sold a series of hand-knit clothing and accessory items, retailing between $160 and $320 on the independently sourced e-commerce site, Mall.She also helms an arts and crafts community called the Soft Hands Knit Club, which has seemingly evolved into the Soft Hands Craft Club and the Soft Crafts Substack, where she promotes a paid subscription to do creative projects alongside her. Ella's Soft Hands business has partnered with an impressive number of well-known brands, including Nuuly, Lisa Says Gah, and Ugg. "It's the classic, 'I'm 25. My frontal lobe is forming, so I'm doing my own thing now,'" she told Marie Claire of the venture in August 2024. "It feels like I'm setting up for a more true-to-myself path. It's very liberating."

While she has thrived as a full-fledged entrepreneur, Ella Emhoff still has a soft spot for her first professional pursuit. "No matter what, I'm always going to be connected to my family and modeling—it's a part of my history," the knitter told Marie Claire. However, Emhoff noted that modeling was an unintentional career choice. "I sort of fell into it," she said. "As I started getting more modeling work, I saw it as a job I could use to push my knitwear forward financially." Emhoff signed with IMG Models just days after her 2021 inaugural look skyrocketed to viral heights on the internet. At the time, IMG President Ivan Bart told the New York Times, "Ella communicates this moment in time. There's a cheekiness and a joy she exudes."

Emhoff has walked runways for designers like Proenza Schouler (her first runway show that got people talking), Simone Rocha, Lacoste, and Balenciaga. She's been included in some of fashion's biggest nights, like when she dominated the cameras in a flaming red Stella McCartney bodysuit at the 2025 Met Gala. It is a career that most cannot foresee, especially for some whose wardrobe wasn't considered a reflection of trendiness. "That's been really funny, because growing up, I never saw myself as someone stylish, at all," she told Elle, adding that her overnight fame as an "it girl" felt "so strange. But it also makes me feel really good, because I was able to stick with my true instincts when it came to style, and it actually paid off!"