The merchandising company Phenomenal, founded by Meena Harris — the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris — is now expanding into an entertainment company, according to a report by the Hollywood Reporter.
Phenomenal will now be producing creative content, where it plans to promulgate scripted and unscripted content across film, TV, podcasts, and digital media, including a book club, which counts Nikole Hannah-Jones’ divisive 1619 Project, as well as its kids’ counterpart, Born On The Water, as its first picks.
Meena Harris told the Hollywood Reporter that they are making this move after successfully having built a “consumer-facing brand with a loyal, engaged built-in audience that is waiting for the next thing, and has come to be this amazing, vibrant community.”
“It is honestly happening much more quickly than we planned, which is very exciting,” Harris told the magazine.
In this screenshot from the DNCC’s livestream of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Meena Harris addresses the virtual convention on August 19, 2020. (Photo by DNCC via Getty Images)
Phenomenal, which was originally founded as a clothing and merchandise line — and later expanded into marketing campaigns — is now reportedly hiring former Universal executive Juliet Liu as head of content and entertainment, and Regina Lee as head of development for film & TV.
The entertainment arm of Phenomenal plans to “focus its lens on content and partnerships that center women and historically excluded communities,” THR reports.
Phenomenal already has existing partnerships with some entertainment companies, such as Netflix, with Bridgerton-themed apparel. The company has also sold clothing bearing slogans related to Vice President Harris.
Earlier this year, it was reported that White House aides were concerned about the ethical implications of Harris allegedly using her aunt’s fame to promote her personal brand.
Being second daughter has its perks as well. Over the summer, Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff made her debut on the French high-fashion scene in Paris, where she walked the runway for the fashion company Balenciaga in its first haute couture show since 1967.
Ella Emhoff speak at NYFW The Talks during New York Fashion Week: The Shows February 2021 at Spring Studios on February 15, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows)
Last month, President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, sold his paintings in Los Angeles and New York City for up to $500,000 to nearly 200 anonymous buyers in his first “art” exhibition.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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