If you’ve been tuning in to the Democratic National Convention—or following along on social media—you have seen former first lady Michelle Obama deliver one of the week’s best speeches; witnessed Vogue political correspondent Jack Schlossberg take the stage and honor the legacy of his grandfather John F. Kennedy; and observed former president Barack Obama make a very…subtle joke during his address on Wednesday. And you surely saw Vice President Kamala Harris make a surprise appearance on Tuesday night.
What you may have missed, however, was that Harris was wearing a sophisticated but nondescript pantsuit by designer Chemena Kamali for the French label Chloé in a shade called coconut brown (yes, really). Through her vice presidency and particularly now, mid campaign, the Harris camp has made it a point to not make her style choices a headline. Harris looks polished, but her suits are now all cut in the same uniform silhouette: a sharp shoulder, a slightly nipped waist, a single-breasted jacket, and a delicately flared pant. While Harris wore primarily American labels for events surrounding the 2021 inauguration (she chose Black designers Christopher John Rogers, Pyer Moss, and Sergio Hudson), her choices now are less pointed: Michael Kors, Dolce Gabbana, Prabal Gurung. The approach, it seems, is less about fashion diplomacy and more about simply looking good.
The idea that fashion and style should be a focus for a female president is undeniably rooted in bygone patriarchal values and misogyny, but, quite frankly, so is the thought that it should only be a concern of the first lady. Still, it is safe to assume, based on the past four years, that Doug Emhoff, Harris’s husband and the current second gentleman, will not be following the footsteps of Michelle Obama or Jill Biden as unofficial patrons of American fashion. (Michelle Obama’s sartorial choices were much discussed and very intentional, from wearing primarily American designers, like Jason Wu and Isabel Toledo, to formal events to choosing to wear accessible labels like J.Crew. Dr. Biden has similarly championed American labels, like Markarian and Jonathan Cohen, throughout her time as first lady.)
This leaves an opening: Enter second-lady hopeful Gwen Walz and would-be first daughter Ella Emhoff.
Walz has only recently stepped under the national spotlight as the wife of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris’s running mate. For her first appearance at a campaign rally in Philadelphia earlier this month, she wore a powder blue dress and a simple cardigan. But during the DNC, there’s been a slight shift in her image, a subtle but impactful polish. Walz wore a Carolina Herrera fall 2024 dress on Monday featuring a bouquet of lavender colored roses that matched her husband’s tie. On Tuesday, she chose a red sheath by New York-based luxury evening wear designer Cristina Ottaviano, and on Wednesday she wore a Badgley Mishka look, a more accessible label by longtime New Yorkers Mark Badgley and James Mischka. She paired the navy dress with shoes by Marion Parke, a Minnesota-based footwear designer. Last night, Walz chose Carolina Herrera once more, donning a midnight blue A-line dress with bow details at the neckline.
Emhoff, on her end, is an anointed fashion darling and a fashion month front row fixture. She was the breakout style star of the 2021 inauguration, going viral in the fashion pocket of the internet for wearing Miu Miu, Thom Browne, and Batsheva. A talented textile artist herself, she has modeled for American labels including Proenza Schouler and Collina Strada, in addition to having attended the Met Gala with Stella McCartney in 2021. On the first night of the DNC, she was sporting the viral Harris-Walz camo hat with a look from Peter Do’s pre-fall 2024 collection for Helmut Lang, and on Tuesday night, for her father’s speech, she chose a look by Thom Browne, the chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, as did her mother, Kerstin Emhoff. Last night, Emhoff wore a custom white frock by designer—and mainstay of the TikTok “For You Page”—Joe Ando, who had been teasing and documenting the process of making the look on his social media. Choosing a designer known primarily for his social media presence was an unconventional choice by Emhoff, but a savvy one that paid off. The dress has been much-discussed online as a standout fashion moment at the DNC.
Ella Emhoff, on her end, is an anointed fashion darling and a fashion month front-row fixture. She was the breakout style star of the 2021 inauguration, going viral in the fashion pocket of the internet for wearing Miu Miu, Thom Browne, and Batsheva. A talented textile artist herself, Emhoff has modeled for American labels including Proenza Schouler and Collina Strada, in addition to attending the Met Gala with Stella McCartney in 2021. On the first night of the convention, she was sporting the viral Harris-Walz camo hat with a look from Peter Do’s pre-fall 2024 collection for Helmut Lang, and on Tuesday night, for her father’s speech, she chose a look by Thom Browne, the chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, as did her mother, Kerstin Emhoff.
Together, Ella Emhoff and Gwen Walz paint a comprehensive picture of American fashion today. With her choices, Gwen Walz represents quintessential American elegance, while Ella Emhoff stands in for the more fashion-forward pocket of the industry Stateside. In just a week, they have charmed the public with their supportive onscreen cameos and shone the spotlight on American-born and immigrant talent, US-made fashion, and independent designers. The opportunity here is for them to continue to do so as two befitting ambassadors for American fashion.
