She saved the best for last.
Brooklyn native Ella Emhoff wowed the crowd on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago when she took the podium in a powder blue and white couture dress to praise her stepmother, Kamala Harris.
The speech was heartfelt, but Emhoff’s ethereal off-the-shoulder dress – consisting of a pastel blue bodice with a drop waist and a white skirt with a mid-calf hem – was the eye-catcher.
And while the Democratic candidate played it safe with pantsuits by Chloé, Emhoff’s unique dress, which was hailed by one critic as the “best dress at the DNC,” turned out to be the work of an aspiring TikTokker – who also lives in the Big Apple.
Joe Ando-Hirsh, who graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2020, worked with Emhoff on the stunning dress in an interview with the Washington Post and called the project “an incredible experience.”
“I’ve made dresses for so many different occasions and people, but this one felt so personal and I really wanted to help Ella experience her big moment in an elegant way,” said Ando-Hirsh.
Although Emhoff had previously worn pieces by prestigious fashion houses such as Helmut Lang and Thom Browne, she turned to Ando-Hirsh ahead of the DNC to create a custom piece. Her goal was an “elegant, tea party-like look” that was “more modern and elevated,” the designer said.
Ando-Hirsh dropped hints about his high-profile client on social media in the days leading up to the big reveal, suggesting that this might be his favorite piece yet – even though he has previously designed garments for stars such as Dakota Johnson, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Millie Bobby Brown and Rachel Zegler.
The daughter of Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, also known as the “First Daughter of Bushwick,” has become something of a fashion icon for Generation Z—due in part to her eclectic personal style and her involvement in the fashion industry as a model, artist, and avid knitter.
The 25-year-old attracted the attention of viewers all week with her different and varied looks – but not like here.
“When I saw her walk on stage, I let out a huge sigh of relief,” said Ando-Hirsh, who met his latest muse through a mutual friend. “I thought she looked amazing and really perfected the whole look.”
On TikTok, viewers raved about the great dress.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off her dress!! She looked stunning!! She is a free spirit and the dress shows it!! Great job,” said one critic from the couch.
“OMG I was wondering who designed it and you showed up on my FYP! You did amazing sweetie!” cheered another.
The eye-catching dress took about 75 to 90 hours to create, from the development phase to draping, patterning, sewing and fitting, Ando-Hirsh explained.
Emhoff even added her own personal touch to the garment by crocheting the flower that adorns her arm.
“When it comes to making dresses with details like tulle and using princess colors, you have to be very precise in the design so that it doesn’t look like a costume,” the designer noted, adding that there was a lot of trial and error during the careful creation process.
“The muted tones of the dress really helped her stand out effortlessly while looking so elegant,” he said.
