Left: Office of Congressman Harold Ford Jr. (U.S. public domain). Right: Detroit Regional Chamber, CC BY 2.0. Cropped, paired; logo added.
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Emily Threlkeld, also known publicly as Emily Ford, co-founded the swimwear label Basta Surf. She married former US congressman Harold Ford Jr. in Miami on 26 April 2008. Her work has included business development at Carolina Herrera and a partnership with designer Samantha August.
Her career developed from work at established fashion houses to a label of her own. The wedding attracted political coverage, while her business appearances continued under her married name.
From Florida to New York fashion
A professional biography published by The Toby Project describes Threlkeld as a native Floridian who moved to New York in 2003. It lists a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami’s School of Business Administration. That supports a business qualification, although it does not identify a specialism or graduation year.
In October 2007, an Associated Press report announcing her engagement identified her as a business development manager for Carolina Herrera.
The Toby Project biography adds a broader account of her earlier experience: six years in luxury retail marketing, publicity and branding for Puig Fashion, connected with the Carolina Herrera and Nina Ricci houses. The undated page reflects an earlier stage of her career.
Building Basta Surf with Samantha August
Threlkeld’s entrepreneurial work appears in fashion coverage under the name Emily Ford. Luxury retailer Moda Operandi identifies Ford and Samantha August as Basta Surf’s founders, describing a New York-based swimwear label using Italian fabrics.
The collection included reversible swimwear, with Italian fabrics and US manufacturing. Retailer SAANS describes the creative partnership as designer August and stylist Ford, with travel and surfing among the influences on the range.
The founders presented collaborations together. In July 2012, they celebrated a Basta Surf collection with model Julie Henderson in Miami Beach. Two years later, World Red Eye photographed Ford and August hosting a collaboration with The Webster during Miami Swim Week.
Basta subsequently became part of Raj Manufacturing’s portfolio. California Apparel News reported in July 2015 that Raj had acquired the brand the previous year. August explained that the manufacturer’s people and infrastructure would help the business grow. Raj also reproduced that account on its own website.
The acquisition is an important dividing line in the company’s history. A founder credit establishes Threlkeld’s contribution to Basta; it does not establish her ownership stake, proceeds from a sale or a present-day management position. Raj’s website continues to include Basta in its brand portfolio.
How she met Harold Ford Jr.
The Washington Post reported that Threlkeld and Ford met at her stepbrother’s wedding.
By the time their engagement became public in October 2007, Ford described a three-year relationship. He told reporters that he had proposed during a trip to France. The AP’s account placed Threlkeld’s Carolina Herrera role alongside that announcement, preserving a snapshot of her working life before the marriage.
Ford’s political career explains the attention surrounding the couple. He had represented a Memphis-based Tennessee district in the US House of Representatives from January 1997 to January 2007 and had contested the 2006 Senate election. Their wedding therefore came after his congressional service had ended.
U.S. Congress (U.S. public domain). Logo added.
Their Miami wedding and family
Threlkeld and Ford married at Trinity Cathedral Episcopal Church in Miami on 26 April 2008. Contemporary reporting by Memphis station WMC described approximately 300 guests and 26 attendants across the wedding party.
The same report said Ford had proposed at the Ritz in Paris and that Threlkeld’s mother had met him first and thought he would be a good match for her daughter. Its account of the preparations also described a welcoming reception from Ford’s mother, Dorothy Bowles Ford.
The couple later had two children. The US House’s historical biography of Ford confirms the marriage and the two-child family.
A family notice provides a more recent public reference to the marriage. The 2026 obituary of her stepfather, Vincent DePasquale, identifies Emily Ford and her husband Harold Ford Jr.
What her career record does, and does not, establish
The Toby Project’s earlier biography also described communications and strategy experience and a senior advisory role at Global Philanthropy Group. Her current employer and day-to-day work in 2026 are not established by those historical references.
Her personal net worth is similarly unverified. A fashion job title and a company acquisition are not enough to calculate an individual’s wealth. Nor does an age given in a 2007 engagement announcement establish an exact birthday. Precise financial and birth-date figures repeated without underlying documentation should be treated cautiously.
Final Thoughts
Basta Surf is the most substantial business chapter in Threlkeld’s public profile. It connects her fashion-industry experience with a product range, a creative partner and collaborations with established retailers. That work continued after her 2008 wedding and deserves a place alongside the family story that first brought her wider attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Emily Ford the same person as Emily Threlkeld?
In the Basta Surf and Harold Ford Jr. context, yes. Fashion coverage uses Emily Ford, while her engagement and wedding were reported under Emily Threlkeld. The Toby Project biography connects her BASTA role with her husband, Harold.
What did Emily Threlkeld do at Carolina Herrera?
The Associated Press described her as a business development manager for Carolina Herrera in October 2007. That is a historical role, not confirmation that she works there today.
Does Emily Threlkeld still own Basta Surf?
She is documented as a co-founder, but current ownership by her is not established. Trade reporting places Raj Manufacturing’s acquisition in 2014, and Raj still lists Basta among its brands.
When did Emily Threlkeld marry Harold Ford Jr.?
They married on 26 April 2008 at Trinity Cathedral Episcopal Church in Miami. A 2026 family obituary also identifies Ford as her husband.