Ella Emhoff is making it as a model and designer. She discusses her path forward—and her NYFW debut—with the Proenza Schouler designers.
Ella Emhoff Discusses her NYFW Debut With Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez
Amid the leather suits and bias dresses of Proenza Schouler’s fall 2021 lookbook was a New York Fashion Week debut: model and designer Ella Emhoff appeared in her first NYFW collection. Signed to IMG Models, Emhoff has appeared in magazines in the past, but her work for Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez marks her first fashion show—albeit virtual—and her first appearance on an official Fashion Week calendar.
Emhoff is studying fine art at the Parsons School of Design and auctions her knitwear pieces on her Instagram account. Most might know her, though, from her appearance at President Biden’s inauguration, where she paired a Batsheva dress with a Miu Miu coat to watch her step-mother Kamala Harris be sworn in as Vice President.
After Proenza Schouler’s collection went live on Vogue Runway and NYFW.com, Emhoff sat down with the label’s designers to discuss their lookbook, becoming a model, and what’s next for her knitwear collection.
On Modeling for Proenza Schouler
“It was my first ever fashion experience and I have to say I was a little nervous,” Emhoff admitted to the designers during their conversation. “I definitely lost a little sleep the night before… I’m walking for the first time. I’m in a professional environment like that for the first time, I’m meeting you guys for the first time… the anticipation was really high.”
Hernandez affirmed that “the walk was major,” though the group agreed that a 4AM call time and 20-degree temperatures at their location in Long Island made for a singular moment. “It was a perfect first experience in the fashion world,” Emhoff said.
How Emhoff Got Into Fashion
Many know her as a knitwear wizard on Instagram, but Emhoff’s love of clothing started young. “My mom was super into fashion and I would always play dress-up in her closet and wear her high heels,” she said. After taking courses at Central Saint Martins in London for two summers while in high school, Emhoff returned to California and began to explore fine arts. At Parsons, where she is a senior, she studies in the school’s fine arts program, though she admits that “during quarantine I have completely transitioned back to fashion.”
Knitting Is Truly Her Passion
Emhoff has been knitting for 13 years, and currently has three knitting machines in her New York City apartment. “I love knitting, and especially during quarantine, being able to do that 12 hours a day was super nice. I love creating clothing. As you guys know, it’s super satisfying to dream up something, make it, and then see people wear it,” she said. She currently uses mostly merino wool, but is looking into other materials to expand her offering, while also trying to blend her knitwear with her art practice. “I have started now treating a lot of my pieces as fine arts, almost seeing the yarn as paint and creating paintings through yarn,” she said, noting that for her thesis she is “trying to meld it together more, possibly including some more performance-based work.”
Her Long Term Goal
“The dream is my own brand,” Emhoff told the designers. “It’s very American in a way to come out of school and start your own thing,” Hernandez said—and he should know. Proenza Schouler’s first collection went straight onto the racks at Barneys New York.
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Steff Yotka
