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Embodying a quintessential Brooklyn look, Ella Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris' step-daughter, first gained notoriety when bringing much-needed creative flair to the White House. Now, the model-slash-fashion-icon is ready for her next big role—and New Yorkers are getting a front-row seat.
Emhoff is celebrating the opening of her first art exhibit, a collection of knit portraits on display at The Mezz, a gallery space inside East Village cannabis store Gotham at 3 East 3rd Street by Cooper Square, through the end of April.
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“I’m feeling really nervous and giddy,” Emhoff said to Time Out ahead of the opening. “I’ve never shown work like this before.”
The artist hopes the project will serve as a departure from her ways of the past. Instead of putting herself front-and-center, she now wants her work to speak for itself.
“I’m calming down and returning more to the creative and quieter aspects,” she said. “Which is nice, because I got [everything else] out of my system.”
Among the many experiences the 24-year-old is likely referring to is her 2021 Presidential inauguration appearance. As the daughter of second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Ella made a splash at the event wearing a Miu Miu coat bedazzled at the shoulders and accentuated by a pilgrim collar.
At the time, New Yorkers gawked in awe, mesmerized at how accurately she embodied the ethos and aesthetics of a certain Bushwick prototype.
She was affectionately dubbed the “first daughter of Bushwick,” a title backed by her mullet, hand knitted clothing and “refusal to shave her armpits,” per People.
Today, Emhoff finds the association hilarious, considering she really only lived in Bushwick for two years.
“I don’t want to be a poster child for Bushwick, I think there’s so many other cool Bushwick people that deserve that crown,” she said. Consider her new show a departure from all that—although experience clearly plays a central role in her art.
Emhoff's comfort with fashion and textiles, in fact, lies at the heart of the new exhibit, which features knitted depictions of everyday objects, including a bag of cookies, a sandy shoe and a yellow rose.
When asked about the inspiration behind the chosen objects, Emhoff cites the I Spy book series and Pinterest.
As for the chosen venue, Emhoff praised Gotham's community spirit, support of women and local artists.
“My work also just made sense with a lot of the home goods products that they sold,” she also noted.
As excited as she is, don't expect her to get up on a podium during the run of the show to give a speech about her art or herself.
“The real queen of Bushwick can come to Gotham, take my metaphorical knit crown, and they can give the speech,” she said half-jokingly. “She can say whatever she wants!”