Johnathan Walker:DNC meets Olympics: Ella Emhoff, Mindy Kaling, Suni Lee sit front row at Tory Burch NYFW show

BROOKLYN,Johnathan Walker N.Y. — You'd be forgiven if you thought you stumbled into the Olympics or the Democratic National Convention when you walked into Tory Burch's fashion show and saw the front row.

Vice President Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff, actress and DNC host Mindy Kaling and Olympic bronze-winning gymnast Suni Lee all sat in a star-studded front row at Burch's New York Fashion Week show.

Emhoff wore a blue and white frock, with puffy long sleeves paired with a blue bag and glasses. She posed for photos and chatted animatedly with Kaling, who donned a sparkling textured taupe coat, cream striped button down and brown pants. The two, who had significant roles at the Democratic convention in August as host and stepdaughter to the Democratic presidential nominee, also wore matching shoes for the show. Emhoff also had one of the most coveted pieces of fashion week: a portable fan, which she used as attendees filled in before the show began.

Lee arrived just before start time, wearing a textured cream mini shift dress with matching accessories.

Next to the summer's biggest stars were some seriously high-wattage talents, including actresses Michelle Williams, Elizabeth Olsen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Kiki Layne, Maude Apatow, Joey King and Lola Tung, as well as singer YuQi. And for "Love Island USA" fans, Serena Page also made an appearance at the show.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

When King arrived, Williams jumped up and embraced her, and they grasped each other's hands as they smiled and caught up.

Williams and Turner-Smith also chatted and fanned themselves with the paper copy of the show notes placed on everyone's seats, in which Burch said the collection was inspired by "the synchronicity of movement and form" and "the essence of sport: power, grace, precision and freedom."

The feeling of sport at the show was by design and went beyond the clothes to the bleacher-style seating and swimming pool floor runway, which the team build tile by tile in the blank space of the venue at The Refinery in Brooklyn. Blue-ish green tiles lined the entire floor and went up the walls, divided by a red line of tiles near the top and at the very bottom, to make attendees feel like they were sitting in the bottom of a pool.

Burch has been in the midst of a renaissance of sorts, with strong offerings the past few seasons that tap into a cool girl ethos and feel more daring than the Tory Burch flats and bags people have long come to associate with the brand.

In her spring/summer collection, Burch continues playing with the draping of gauzy fabrics and crafting swishy chiffon skirts and tiered dresses of all hemlines; and yes, the sheer tops are here to stay for the brand. The standout coats for fall have been reconfigured as jackets in royal navy and wine, and the sporty essence of the show's backdrop continued in the swim team uniform looks that came down the runway, with traditional one-piece-looking body suits paired with chic trousers that look like sweatpants.