Vice President Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff made her couture debut on Wednesday as she walked the runway at the Balenciaga show in Paris in front of the likes of Kanye West.
The 22-year-old fashion darling — who is the daughter of Harris’ husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and Doug’s first wife, Kerstin — took to the catwalk at the label’s historic headquarters at 10 Avenue George V wearing a black two-piece suit topped with a floor-length cape.
The highly-anticipated show featured Balenciaga’s first haute couture collection in more than 50 years, an impressive booking for Ella, who made her New York Fashion Week debut earlier this year after signing with IMG Models.
Strike a pose: Ella Emhoff, 22, made her couture debut on Wednesday as she walked the runway at the Balenciaga show in Paris
Ella’s brown hair was slicked back, and she wore glasses as she strutted through the halls of the salon during the show, which paid homage to the early days of couture.
Creative director Demna Gvasalia dressed models in yellow and pink bathrobe-like coats, loose black trouser suits, and embellished evening gowns. There were also voluminous satin coats and more casual looks made up of jumpers, jeans, and jackets.
The designer said he had looked to the label’s Spanish founder, Cristobal Balenciaga, for inspiration, showing egg-shaped silhouettes, a draped polka dot dress in chiffon, and a shantung coat embroidered with faux fur.
Accessories included large flying saucer-like hats, visor sunglasses, and long gloves.
Fashions shows are usually set to soundtracks, but Ella and the other models walked in silence in the hallowed halls. They also posed in front of look numbers — a nod to when wealthy clients would come to the shows to buy the clothes on display, The Cut reported.
Cristobal Balenciaga, recognized as one of the top couturiers in the fashion industry, closed his Paris-based atelier in 1968. He died four years later. The label reopened in the 1980s but without couture.
Fashion star: Vice President Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter took to the catwalk sporting slicked-back hair and glasses
Haute couture: Ella modeled a black two-piece suit topped with a floor-length cape as she walked the halls at the label’s headquarters at 10 Avenue George V
‘I see it as my creative obligation to the unique heritage of M. Balenciaga to bring the couture back to his house,” Gvasalia said in show notes. ‘It is the very foundation of this century-old maison.’
Balenciaga’s return to couture was a star-studded event, with Kanye, 44, sitting in the front row wearing ski mask-style face covering featuring a cat print.
Also in attendance were Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, model Bella Hadid, rapper Lil Baby, and actress Salma Hayek, who is married to Francois-Henri Pinault, the chairman and CEO of Kering, Balenciaga’s parent company.
Ella took to Instagram after the show to share photos of herself posing and walking in her couture suit. She also posted a close-up of the ankle boots she had on while sitting on the floor backstage.
‘Balenciaga couture,’ she wrote. ‘Thank you/congrats to @demnagvasalia and the whole Balenciaga team truly amazing.’
Star-studded event: The highly-anticipated show featured Balenciaga’s first haute couture collection in more than 50 years and paid homage to founder Cristobal Balenciaga
Another big break: The couture show was an impressive booking for Ella, who made her New York Fashion Week debut earlier this year after signing with IMG Models
Behind-the-scenes: Ella took to Instagram after the show to share photos and videos, including a close-up snapshot of her black boots backstage
Ella’s boyfriend Sam Hine, 27, showed his support by sharing a video of the runway show streaming on the television in his Paris hotel room, writing: ‘@ellaemoff go off!!!’
Hours later, he posted a photo of her enjoying a celebratory drink in a black bomber jacket, her hair still slicked back from the show.
Just a week before, the couple was soaking up the sun on a yacht in St. Tropez after attending a star-studded style event in Paris.
The happy couple looked to be in their element aboard the small charter boat, which can be rented for $2,400 a day. They were seen kissing, cuddling, snapping selfies, and toasting drinks as they enjoyed the high life on the French Riviera.
Ella wore a skimpy lime-green bikini for their day on the water, pairing the vibrant swimwear with a blue baseball cap, a pair of sunglasses, and several necklaces.
A-list crowd: Kanye West , 44, was photographed arriving at the star-studded fashion show on Wednesday
Bold accessory: Kanye donned a ski mask-style face covering featuring a cat print and an all-black outfit
Photo op: Model Bella Hadid shared a photo of herself with Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia at the show
Saying hi: Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour was seen mingling with attendees, including Kanye (far right)
She flashed several tattoos on her arms, legs, and torso while spending time while out on the deck of the chartered boat.
Her beau Sam, who is a senior associate editor at GQ, donned red and purple patterned swim shorts and a pair of shades with blue lenses.
Ahead of their yachting excursion, Ella and Sam were seen at celebrity St. Tropez hotspot Club 55, which has previously been frequented by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Princess Diana’s niece Kitty Spencer.
Ella happily promoted the A-list-approved restaurant by sporting its logo on her blue baseball cap that shielded her eyes from the bright sunshine.
The up-and-coming designer and her boyfriend were seen strolling along the dock at the beachfront venue before boarding a dinghy that ferried them out to their yacht — and then brought them back to the restaurant at the end of the day.
Living the high life: Just a week before, the couple was soaking up the sun on a yacht in St. Tropez (pictured) after attending a star-studded style event in Paris
Soaking up the sun: A few days after their yacht excursion, they were spotted at the luxury Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the South of France
In true model fashion, Ella managed an outfit change before returning to Club 55, putting on a figure-hugging black dress over her bikini and donning a yellow headscarf in place of her baseball cap.
She carried a large leather tote bag from the popular brand Telfar over her shoulder, and she sported a pair of black Birkenstock sandals on her feet.
Sam also covered up in a patterned short-sleeve button-up and wore a pair of sandals from Proenza Schouler’s collaboration with Birkenstock as they walked back toward Club 55.
It is no surprise that the couple chose the celebrity haunt, particularly as they have quickly achieved star status themselves in recent months.
Prior to their boating excursion, the duo attended a party to celebrate fashion brand Casablanca’s new collection film ‘Masao San.’ They were joined by the likes of Bella Hadid, Emily in Paris star Ashley Park, and Camile Rowe.
Model moment: Earlier this year, Ella made her runway debut at the Proenza Schouler sshow during New York Fashion Week
Congrats! Ella, pictured with her father Dough Emhoff, recently graduated from The New School’s Parsons School of Design
Instant star: Ella earned viral fashion fame with the stylish look she sported at President Joe Biden’s inauguration (pictured)
The rising model has shared several candid snaps from their trip to France on her Instagram, including one photo that shows her capturing a picture of the ocean while traveling in the back of a car.
Ella and Sam were first photographed together in February of this year, just weeks after the budding model earned viral fashion fame with the stylish look she sported at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
In the months since the ceremony, Ella has become a regular fixture on the fashion circuit, signing a contract with the modeling agency IMG and making her runway debut at the Proenza Schouler show during New York Fashion Week.
More recently, she starred in her first Vogue shoot and celebrated her graduation from Parsons School of Design. The stylish second daughter also released a debut knitwear collection in February, which sold out in minutes.
Following the successful launch, she unveiled a collaboration with popular brand Batsheva — the same company that designed the dress that she wore under a Miu Miu coat at the inauguration.