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Why Ella Emhoff’s tattoos could be controversial at home with stepmother Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter has 18 separate inkings

Tania Leslau
Fashion features writer
June 7, 2023
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If you don’t know Ella Emhoff, then this is the time to get to know her. The model, who just so happens to be the stepdaughter of Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States, is rising through the fashion ranks, appearing on various designer runways and forging her career in textiles.

The 24-year-old is a beacon of creativity, having studied at Parsons School of Design in New York. Her artistic personality is evident upon first glance, as the designer-model is peppered with edgy tattoos.

WATCH: Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff walks runway

Ella has at least 18 tattoos, including one of a cow on her left arm, a birthday cake and a flower pot, and a smiley face made up of eggs and bacon. Speaking to Garage in 2021, she revealed she began inking herself during the pandemic: "I did the classic: I did my dog's name, and I did a little flower. I recently did my first big boy: [a] salmon fish with a flower hanging out of its mouth." 

View post on Instagram
 

Yet, the model’s inkings may be controversial at home with Kamala Harris and father Douglas Emhoff. U.S. Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff is Jewish and has been photographed celebrating Jewish holidays with his wife across the years. However, in Jewish religion and culture, being tattooed is often frowned upon.

View post on Instagram
 

The devasting reason behind this has links to the Holocaust. During the Second World War, Jews living in camps were tattooed by the Nazis with a number. While some liberal Jews embraced tattooing as an act of defiance against this harrowing history, many members of the Jewish community are still very much haunted by the memory of tattooing during the Holocaust.

Ella Emhoff hosts the 'Ella Emhoff Likes to Knit Pop-Up' during NYFW: The Shows 2023 at Spring Studios on February 11, 2023 in New York City.© Bryan Bedder
Ella Emhoff hosting the 'Ella Emhoff Likes to Knit Pop-Up' during NYFW: The Shows 2023

Moreover, according to the Torah (Leviticus 19:28), "You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves". This is a well-known aversion that has led many Jews to avoid the needle.

However, in recent years, an increasing number of Jews have been experimenting with tattoos as the anti-tatt trope is losing its significance. Tattoos are seen more as fashion statements or an outward expression of the inner self in today's zeitgeist, meaning that while the turbulent history of Jews with tattoos remains ever-relevant, followers of the Jewish faith are toying with body art more and more.

Ella Emhoff walks the runway during the Cecilie Bahnsen Womenswear Fall Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 01, 2023 in Paris, France.© Kristy Sparow
Ella Emhoff walks the runway during the Cecilie Bahnsen Womenswear Fall Winter show in Paris

So, whether or not the Emhoff clan take issue with Ella’s inkings, it's clear the 24-year-old has positive, artistic intentions behind her needlework. Plus, Ella has not inherited her father’s Jewish faith, as the religion is traditionally passed down through the mother’s side. 

kamala harris ella emhoff
Ella is close to Kamala, whom she calls 'Momala'

Ella recently showed off her body art in a selfie shared to social media. "Can’t even lie, I just made a hot dress," she captioned the post that featured a series of pictures of herself in the cream knit dress that hugged her figure and allowed her arms tattoos to shine.

ella emhoff beach© Instagram
The model has a Jewish father

"That drape in the back is amazing," commented one follower as others praised her for the "hot" look and couldn't believe it was all knitwork. 

The fashion student made her New York Fashion Week debut as a designer this past spring. While she is a familiar face on the runway, the star is also the founder of an avant-garde knitwear brand called Ella Likes To Knit and she celebrated her eponymous brand's first pop-up by hosting an event in Spring Studios. 

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