Who else was impressed by Ella Emhoff’s outfit for her DNC debut? The off-shoulder, drop-waist dress, adorned with a dainty crochet rosette at the shoulder, was the star of the show in her political coming-out at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. With her strong ties to the fashion industry, many might guess they knew who was behind her striking outfit. It goes without saying that the revelation was not what most had expected.
The illuminating answers all came during the flurry of exchanges on a group text chain. The little-known Tiktok designer who decided to design such a one-of-a-kind dress was Joe Ando, or, as we like to call him in the chair and couch sides of TikTok, “that guy from TikTok.”
Ando first became known for designing clothes for some of Hollywood’s most famous women, including Dakota Johnson, Keke Palmer, Millie Bobby Brown, Rachel Zegler, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. He has 2.7 million Instagram followers and 2.9 million on TikTok. In his viral videos, which all begin with a now-famous line, “Can I make you a dress?”, Ando has become popular many times. A New York native and FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) graduate, he was recently featured in Vogue Italia, where he beautifully explained his design philosophy: “for me creating a dress means blending my point of view with that of the clients, giving life to something unique and special.”
Emhoff’s half-week of dress anticipation began with Ando’s vague social media teasing. He began to whet the appetites of his subscribers on August 19, having promised a project that week, which would later be shown on national television. The next day, he published a video where he showed his subscribers fabric samples for Emhoff and carefully concealed the identity of the future owner of the exclusive custom dress. Everyone immediately began to guess who the celebrity might be. Social media users concluded that the dress was either for Phoebe Waller-Bridge or King Princess. But several eagle-eyed subscribers guessed right.
It’s no surprise that Ando couldn’t resist a teaser right after the show wrapped. As soon as Emhoff went onstage, he took to Instagram Stories and wrote: “If you’re watching, it’s a success.” Later a video of him watching the show and admiring the dress on his TV appeared in Ando’s stories. And he sweetened the story by saying that Ella made the crochet rosette with her own hands because knitting and crocheting ‒ she is a pro at hand-making. In NY, this charming girl even heads a club for those who’d like to learn.
Ella, the 21-year-old stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, shared the DNC’s fourth night stage with her less famous sister, VP’s goddaughter Helena Hudlin, and niece Meena Harris. She praised her “Momala” for she could make time to listen to Ella no matter which part of the country she found herself in. Whether Ella will inspire her mother-in-law, Kamala Harris, to also order a personal dress from Joe Ando, it’s hard to say.
