Ashley Eckstein Dishes on Her Universe Fashion Show, New Podcast, and Ahsoka's Return

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In the latest episode of Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast, host Jenna Wrenn sits down with Her Universe founder and actress Ashley Eckstein to discuss a plethora of exciting projects, including the upcoming 11th annual Her Universe Fashion Show, a new podcast, and her return to the voice of a beloved Star Wars character.

Her Universe Fashion Show: Redefining Geek Couture

The 11th annual Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic-Con is deep in the planning stages, with Universal as this year’s sponsor. Designers are drawing inspiration from Universal properties, offering a range of designs from “deep cuts” to classics. The overarching theme for this year’s show is “define fashion,” which encourages designers to break traditional fashion rules and reimagine “geek couture” by utilizing untraditional materials and technology.

Hosts Ashley Eckstein and Michael James Scott with participants at the Her Universe Fashion Show 2024.

Eckstein expressed immense pride in the participating designers, noting that “all of the designers this year really leaned into the theme.” She highlighted the high caliber of talent, stating that nearly every submission could have been chosen, making it incredibly difficult to narrow down to just 25 finalists.

Michael James Scott will return as co-host for his third year, and Eckstein is particularly excited to “lean into Wicked” with him for the show, emphasizing the storyline of friendship. Ashley and Michael have been friends since high school, making the significance of the theme even more personal for the pair.

The Her Universe Fashion Show Presented by Universal on Thursday, July 24

The Her Universe Fashion Show is open to the public. However, advanced wristband distribution is required for entry.

Wristband Distribution: Wristbands will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10:00 a.m. PT on Thursday, July 24, at the Seaport Ballroom Foyer at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego.
Line Policy: Attendees may line up prior to the official distribution time, but Her Universe does not endorse or manage unofficial lines. Also, Her Universe reserves the right to adjust distribution times and manage lines for safety and fairness.
Doors Open: Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. PT, unless otherwise noted by the Her Universe Team upon wristband reception and check-in.
Seating Process: Audience members will be admitted in groups. Upon receiving wristbands, attendees will be informed of their group number and exact return time for seating.
Show Time: The show will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. PT and is expected to last approximately two hours. Late arrivals, even with wristbands, may not be accommodated.
Fan Engagement: Additionally, fans are encouraged to follow Her Universe on social media (@heruniverse on IG, X, Facebook, and @officialheruniverse on TikTok) and use the hashtag #HerUniverseFashionShow for exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

“Hype Friend” Podcast: A Friendship Revolution

Eckstein also revealed exciting news about a new podcast she’s launching with Michael James Scott, titled HypeFriend. The podcast officially premieres on July 11th with its first few episodes. Eckstein explained that the podcast is an extension of her mental health work, inspired by the US Surgeon General’s advisory report on the loneliness epidemic. The goal of HypeFriend is to start a “friendship revolution one hype friend at a time” by modeling good friendship and encouraging others to be “hype friends” in their own lives. The podcast will feature casual conversations about friendship, inviting other friends to share their own stories. All three Hype Friend episodes are available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Ashley Eckstein and Michael James Scott HypeFriend

As part of the launch, there will be an official Her Universe Fashion Show after-show, which will be a live HypeFriend episode recorded in front of an audience at the San Diego Public Library on Friday morning at 10 AM. This special episode will feature the fashion show winners and other special guests.

Ahsoka Tano’s Animated Return

Fans of Star Wars will be thrilled to hear that Ashley Eckstein is returning to voice everyone’s favorite not-a-Jedi, Ahsoka Tano, in “Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past”, coming to Disney Plus on September 19th. Eckstein expressed her excitement to step back into the character’s “boots again” and breathe life into “Brickhead Ahsoka”. She noted that while this Lego series certainly has a different tone than the more serious shows like “Andor”, that fans can very much expect the same Ahsoka we’ve come to know and love over the last two decades.

Ahoska Tano in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.

“Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past” marks Ashley’s return to voicing Ahsoka in animation since Tales of the Jedi in 2022.

Portrait of a Fangirl

“Portrait of a Fangirl” is a series from the team at Temple of Geek. Initially a web series, it has expanded into a podcast, now in its third season. The project focuses on telling the stories of women who have found inspiration, growth, and power through fandom.

Host and executive producer of the “Portrait of a Fangirl” Podcast, Jenna Wrenn, is also an entertainment correspondent for Temple of Geek, Features Writer for ComicBook, and Senior Comics Reporter for Screen Rant. Jenna has interviewed talents such as Felicia Day, Max Brooks, Katee Sackhoff, Rachel Smythe, and Ashley Eckstein. Because of her love for pop culture and dedication to the craft, Jenna served as a panelist at San Diego Comic-Con on Portrait of a Fangirl‘s panel, Adaptation to Advantage: How Women & Fandom Work Together.

Jenna is a historian by trade, a writer by profession, and a cat mom by birthright. She loves to travel, forge new connections, and also drink large cold brews. Jenna is excited to bring more fascinating interviews to viewers/listeners of the Portrait of a Fangirl podcast.

You can listen to the Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast directly on this page or stream it on Apple Podcasts / Google Podcast / iHeart Radio / Spotify and wherever you stream your podcasts. You can even watch it on our YouTube channel. Find us on social media on Instagram and TikTok.

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