Hosts Ashley Eckstein and Michael James Scott with participants at the Her Universe Fashion Show 2024.
Posted in Fashion San Diego Comic Con

Her Universe Fashion Show 2024

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by Alexandrea Callaghan
The 10th Annual Her Universe Fashion Show, presented by Mattel, kicked off San Diego Comic-Con with a standing-room-only crowd as fashion and fandom took the spotlight for an unforgettable evening.
Hosts Ashley Eckstein and Michael James Scott at the Her Universe Fashion Show 2024.

Winners from the 2024 Her Universe Fashion Show

Twenty-five designers unveiled their extraordinary creations throughout the night, each inspired by iconic fandoms and pop culture figures, including Barbie, Beetlejuice, Magic 8 Ball, Monster High, Popples, and more. From intricate craftsmanship to boundary-pushing designs, every look celebrated the power of imagination, with many also honoring milestone anniversaries, including 65 years of Barbie, 35 years of Polly Pocket, and nearly 80 years of Mattel.
This year’s winning designers, who will receive the opportunity to design a fashion collection with Her Universe and, in celebration of the 10th-anniversary show, will each win $10,000 are below:
Judges winner: Wes Jenkins, Orlando, FL, @artofwesjenkins
Audience winner: Candice Miller, Louisa County, VA, @candicedunlapmiller
Winners of the 2024 Her Universe Fashion Show on the stage.

All the Designers from The Her Universe Fashion Show

  • Christine Geiger
  • Domonique “Dom Diva” Battle-Baber – “Dreams Barbie,” inspired by Barbie
  • Duy Truong
  • Emma “Emma Joy” Neuweiler
  • Heather Smith – “Haute on Hoth,” inspired by Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
  •  Jen Tan
  • Jennifer “Miami Falcón” Falcón
  • Katie Strube
    • Hometown: Orlando, FL
    • Instagram: @Kstroobz

A participant in the Her Universe Fashion Show shows off a Beetlejuice-inspired design.

  • Lynleigh Sato
  • Mandy McLean Couch – “It’s Show Time,” inspired by Beetlejuice
  • Sean Quinn

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Her Universe Fashion Show

Ashley Eckstein in a projected-Barbie outfit in a Barbie-style box.Within the first 10 minutes of the show, Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein had revealed her highly-anticipated fashion first – a one-of-a-kind projection mapping dress that blended technology and 65 years of Barbie fashion. Broadway star Michael James Scott kicked off the evening with an electric rendition of Katy Perry’s “Roar” that had audiences on their feet, singing and dancing. The co-hosts later revealed multiple geek couture looks inspired by beloved Mattel brands, including Barbie, Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, and Uno.
“It’s been my dream to open up the show with a projection mapping look since 2017, but I didn’t have the right team to help me pull it off—until now!” gushed Eckstein.

Creating the looks

To pull off Eckstein’s groundbreaking opening Barbie look, she and show director Jeremy Merrifield worked with a team of more than 20 designers, engineers, illustrators, carpenters, animators, and musicians. The team used a 40,000 lumens precision BARCO projector to celebrate 65 years of Barbie with seven iconic Barbie fashions using a single dress made with cutting-edge projection fabric from AV StumpFL. The eighth Barbie couture look was a pink design created by the audience winner of the 2014 Her Universe Fashion Show, Andrew MacLaine.
The fusion between fashion and technology was led by Denise Hatcher, Managing Director of AOA, and Emmy Award-winning director Jay Hatcher of Live Everyday Studios. AOA’s creative artists and technologists, led by Amara Freshour and Jake Taylor, designed a custom, life-size Barbie box illusion. altrd Productions, led by Tony and Ashley Reser, known for their magical projection content on some of the world’s most recognizable architecture, designed custom virtual Barbie fashions and animations.
The opening was scored by renowned music team Nathan and Andrea Padgett, who arranged and produced a moving version of “Roar” for Michael James Scott. The reimagined version of the Katy Perry anthem showcased the era’s music for each of Eckstein’s iconic Barbie looks—from doo-wop to pop and disco to rock. One minute, audience members were crying, and the next minute, they were up on their feet singing.
Hosts Ashley Eckstein and Michael James Scott in Totally Hair Barbie and Ken inspired fashion at the Her Universe Fashion Show 2024.

Iconic Inspirations

Polly Pocket also took center stage at this year’s event. Mattel transformed the lobby into a whimsical and nostalgic Polly Pocket experience to celebrate the brand’s 35th anniversary. Guests were greeted by some of Polly Pocket’s most iconic pieces, transporting visitors back to cherished childhood memories. A personal favorite of Eckstein’s, the Her Universe founder’s second look was Polly Pocket-inspired with a heart-shaped skirt that opened a life-sized Polly Pocket compact, revealing Eckstein as Polly Pocket herself in a look created by designer MacLaine and the master prop builders at MacGuffin Makers.
Other fashion highlights inspired by Mattel brands included Eckstein and Scott appearing as Totally Hair Barbie and Ken from the ’90s and in matching looks made from actual Uno cards, evoking the style of the ’70s, the decade in which the game made its debut. Michael James Scott gave a new meaning to “fast fashion” when he delighted the audience with his custom-made Hot Wheels suit and coat made by Kristi Siedow Thompson, the 2018 Her Universe Fashion Show winner, who made all of Scott’s looks. Eckstein’s couture looks were made by Andrew MacLaine. Hair and makeup were done by Veronica Nunez, with help from Leibi Carias.
The fun continued throughout the night as audience members won prizes, including 65th Anniversary Barbie dolls, Monster High Backpacks, 35th Anniversary Polly Pocket compacts, specialty Uno card decks, and more!

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Alexandrea Callaghan

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