As a Disney Fashionista, the power of fashion is strong with me. For the third year in a row, Disney Fashionista was present to witness the wonder that is the Her Universe Fashion Show at Comic-Con in San Diego. This night did not disappoint!
Presented by Her Universe, Hot Topic and DreamWorks Animation’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and in partnership with Cartoon Network, BoxLunch, and The Pop Insider, Host/Her Universe Founder Ashley Eckstein opened and closed the show with a one-of-a-kind, transformative dress inspired by DreamWork Animation’s She-Ra and the Princess of Power designed by 2014 Her Universe Fashion Show Winner Andrew MacLaine with custom accessories by designer Harmony Leiker. The moment of the transformation was absolutely magical and an incredible start to the show!
Ashley Eckstein further demonstrated her commitment to inclusiveness, empowerment and mental health awareness. Powerful designs, powerful moments and powerful statements ruled the night. Actress/host Tiffany Smith (Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal) joined the show as Eckstein’s co-host.
Ashley actually wore 4 dresses in total this year! I feel like she was channeling my inner Oscar Party host…lol! 3 of the dresses were by Andrew MacLaine and these were the She-Ra inspired gown, the Batman-inspired gown and the On Our Sleeves dress.
Photo Credit- Mark Edwards
The stigma-breaking design for mental health with her On Our Sleeves™ themed dress, as part of her work with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, touched me to my very core as a Pediatric nurse. The dress was simple yet poignant with a butterfly style sleeve with many of the symbols of the movement and a giant exclamation point on the front that showed how serious Ashley is about supporting On Our Sleeves™. It was truly moving.
The fourth dress Ashley wore was in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. It was designed by 2015 Her Universe Fashion Show winner Leetal Platt. All I can say is it was the perfect blend of the wallpaper, the bride and Madame Leota. I would rock this look (though not as well as Ashley). Her Universe and Hot Topic also surprised the packed audience of over 2,000 fans with the announcement that a Haunted Mansion Fashion Collection by Her Universe is coming to Hot Topic and BoxLunch stores nationwide this fall.
Presented by Her Universe, Hot Topic and DreamWorks Animation’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power in partnership with Cartoon Network, BoxLunch and The Pop Insider, this year’s 6th annual event brought together an all-new group of 24 aspiring designers who presented their original geek couture designs on the runway. The winners were awarded the opportunity to design a fashion collection with Her Universe for leading pop-culture retailer Hot Topic. Cartoon Network returned to The Her Universe Fashion Show this year with its second Junior Designer Showcase – a competition for aspiring designers between ages 6-17. The three winners of the Junior Designer Contest were presented with the opportunity to collaborate with Her Universe on a collection inspired by Steven Universe for the pop-culture and gifting retailer BoxLunch in 2020. Espionage Cosmetics once again returned as the hair and makeup sponsor for this year’s Her Universe Fashion Show, creating powerful looks for the models. The Her Universe Fashion Show footage will be available online next week thanks to content sponsor The Pop Insider.
Avenge of The Fallen- Marvel’s Avengers by Ericka Angiuli
Heart of Kyber- Star Wars by Kimberly Burns
Maleficent- Disney by Jill N. Nofziger
Off With your Head- Alice in Wonderland by Brianna Casper
Duck Couture (Wooo-ooo!)-DuckTales by Liz Todd
The Spirit of Hope- Star Wars by Lisa Truong
Dreams Come True- Cinderella by Hailey Jensen
Oogie Boogie’s Winter Ball- The Nightmare Before Christmas by Wes Jenkins
There were many Disney, Star Wars and Marvel-inspired looks on the runway and I had to share some of my favorites with you!
This year’s winning designers, who will design their work starting tomorrow at Comic-Con, are below:
Judges winner – Adria Renee for her Destination: Isla Nublar look inspired by Jurassic Park
Audience winner – Sarah Hambly for her Bodak Green look inspired by Marvel’s Loki (I voted for her!)
I thoroughly enjoyed myself yet again and my niece, who I brought with me, and I channeled our inner droids as we DisneyBounded as C3P0 and R2-D2. We ended the night chatting with Ashley and Andrew which is always magical.
I cannot wait to see the new collection that these fabulous designers create with the power of fashion in mind! I am also counting down the days to the next Her Universe Fashion Show! It is by far geek couture at its best!
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Thank you so much for the great article and the great time we had together! It means so much seeing you each year and here’s to many more great times to come!