Ashley Eckstein became a fan favorite in the Star Wars franchise due to her role as Ahsoka Tano, voicing the character first in The Clone Wars and then continuing into Star Wars Rebels and beyond. She has also found success outside of the galaxy far, far away with the Her Universe lifestyle brand, which promotes fandom fashion and ultimately led to the annual Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic-Con. With the 15th anniversary of the brand falling in the same year as the fashion show embracing Wicked, Eckstein spoke with CinemaBlend about her dreams and exceeding expectations.
I spoke with Ashley Eckstein ahead of this year's Her Universe Fashion Show at SDCC, which is embracing Universal with plenty of Wicked pink and green after hitting big with the Mattel partnership last year. With Her Universe itself hitting 15 years in 2025, I had to ask: what does it mean to her as the promoter of "geek couture" across all fandoms to celebrate the milestone? She shared:
Her Universe has far exceeded my expectations. Yes, I had big dreams for it, especially as we're talking about the fashion show. Never did I imagine that it would grow this beautiful community and give people the opportunity that it has professionally. I mean, people are working on film sets or working for studios because of being a part of the fashion show. So it actually means something. People have met their best friends because of Her Universe, or they've met their partner or their husband or wife because of Her Universe. Kids were born into Her Universe! We used to have onesies, and now they're wearing women's sizes. I mean, it's, it's been around that long, if you think about it!
I knew that the Her Universe Fashion Show was a highly-anticipated part of SDCC for many attendees, but Eckstein's reveal that people have met friends and partners as part of the deal is very sweet. Any babies who were wearing those onesies back in the brand's earliest days are now just about old enough to drive!
Of course, sci-fi and comic fandoms were once more often associated with men and boys than women and girls, and Ashley Eckstein had the goal of changing that assumption. Where better than San Diego Comic-Con? She elaborated on why "everyone" should get to enjoy fandom:
So all I ever wanted was to break the stereotype and to say that this world that we love is not just for men and boys, it's not just for women and girls. It's for everyone. And I'm so proud that we've done that. We've played a major role in that. Beyond the clothes, I just wanted to build the community, so the fact that this community is still here today and thriving is so special to me, and then to have the fashion line to boot!
The Her Universe Fashion Show is quite literally getting bigger than ever in 2025, with a move to the larger Seaport Ballroom at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. The festivities will kick off at 6 p.m. PT on Thursday, July 24, although wristbands will be distributed starting at 10 a.m. PT on a first come, first serve basis.
Attendees can feel free to embrace the Wicked theme with pink for Galinda and/or green for Elphaba, but the event will feature Universal properties beyond the world of Oz as well. Ashley Eckstein went on to preview the designs that will be on display:
The designs are better than ever, and I can't take credit for that. We have an amazing design team. And occasionally I get to still design a little bit, which is fun whenever I get to do that. But I'm so proud of the Her Universe team and what they're accomplishing day to day. I don't have my own kids, but Her Universe is my baby. I will always look at it like it's my baby, and I'm just such a proud mom.
The fashion show isn't just for showing off geek couture to a packed venue, as the designers are competing for the grand prize of designing an apparel collection for Her Universe. Plus, as a treat for designers and audience members alike, Wicked star Marissa Bode (Nessarose) will be part of the judges' panel.
Anybody who has seen the Broadway production of Wicked has a pretty good of idea of where Nessa's story is likely to go in Wicked: For Good when it debuts late in the 2025 movie schedule. For one night, though, the actress be on the Her Universe Fashion Show stage alongside Ashley Eckstein, co-host (and Broadway legend) Michael James Scott, among other judges.
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