In a WonderCon@Home panel today, Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein provided a peek into the makings of the Her Universe Fashion Show. She also gave fans a glimpse into the challenges organizers have faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year, the Her Universe Fashion Show will be a virtual event, streaming on July 23. Submissions are open to designers through April 2. Last year’s show was cancelled, along with its host event, San Diego Comic-Con, because of Covid-19. It was recently announced that SDCC will not take place in 2021, but will offer a smaller, in-person event planned for November.
Eckstein was joined on the WonderCon panel by Adria Renee, 2019 HUFS Judge’s Winner, and Sarah Hambly, 2019 HUFS Audience Winner. Hot Topic vice president and general merchandise manager Ed LaBay was also part of the conversation. The three guests will judge this year’s fashion show hosted by Eckstein.
Fashion show winners share memories
Eckstein is perhaps best known as the voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. During the panel, she talked to Renee and Hambly about their winning designs from 2019, which led to a gig designing pieces for Hot Topic inspired by the movie Wonder Woman 1984. Renee’s winning fashion show design, “Destination Isla Nublar,” was inspired by Jurassic Park. The designer described it as “a really feminine and Latin-inspired resort look.”
“Thankfully, the judges really liked it,” she said.
Eckstein fondly recalled Renee’s performance, modeling her own design on the runway at San Diego Comic-Con.
“You were incredible on the runway,” she said. “You were your own model and you truly wowed everyone. It was quite a performance.”
“I do like to have fun on the runway,” Renee said, adding that she wanted to go out “with a bang and a margarita in hand.”
Hambly’s winning design, “Bodak Green,” was inspired by Marvel mischief maker Loki.
“I really wanted to go big and over the top and really have fun with it,” she said.
Hambly’s design was modeled at the show by her sister. Her mother helped out backstage, attending to last-minute emergencies, like hand sewing a wig into a hat.
“It was amazing to work with my sister,” Hambly remembered. “She is so much fun. She just really understood the character and understood what I was going for.”
After the show, Hot Topic enlisted Renee and Hambly to create ready-to-wear pieces based on their fashion show designs.
LaBay said he particularly loves partnering with HUFS designers after the show.
“It’s something that Her Universe fans really wanted. We’ve gotten so many call-outs and requests for designs (from the fashion show), even just little pieces … that the audience wants to take home with them.”
Eckstein asked Renee and Hambly how it felt when their designs became available for fans to buy at Hot Topic.
“It was incredible,” Renee said. “I know after the fashion show, I had so many inquiries about the scarf in particular. I had tons of people who wanted it. I knew 100% what one of those pieces (for Hot Topic) had to be, cause that scarf, everyone loved it.”
“I was really excited to see my designs from the runway come to life,” Hambly agreed. She especially enjoyed designing a Loki-themed pullover, which featured a “beautiful screen print” based on embroidery from her HUFS design.
Designing the Wonder Woman 1984 collection
The pair’s collaboration with Hot Topic didn’t stop there. They immediately began work on a collection inspired by Wonder Woman 1984. Renee’s pieces included a t-shirt dress, kimono, and jacket. Eckstein wore the jacket during the panel, along with a sparkly gold headband.
“They are just so quintessentially Wonder Woman,” Renee said of her designs, which reflect a “classic” look. “Those color schemes, they’re really bright and poppy and totally remind me of the comic books.”
In contrast, Hambly was inspired by costumes from the film after she got a look at some advance stills.
“That walkthrough jumpsuit was just literally stunning,” Eckstein recalled.
The elegant, ‘80s-inspired, white jumpsuit ended up being one of the most popular of Hambly’s pieces.
“It was so beautiful,” Hambly agreed. “It was such a joy to make. I actually drew that design on a napkin the first time” while sitting in a hotel.
Hambly also created a Cheetah jacket with spikes, inspired by Kristen Wiig’s character and “all her amazing looks,” and a versatile tank top with wings on the back.
“We cannot forget that beautiful wing piece at the end of the film,” she said.
After the success of designing the Wonder Woman collection, 2020 came as a bit of a shock, according to Eckstein.
“Now 2020 was a little different for all of us this year,” she said, eliciting chuckles from her fellow panelists.
“It took whatever plans we had, including the fashion show and the release of the Wonder Woman collection, and completely threw them up in the air.”
Grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic
As the movie’s release date changed, Hot Topic was forced to push the launch of the Wonder Woman 1984 collection to Christmas, LaBay recalled.
“This is usually a time when we celebrate with the designers, see the collection together in person…and really celebrate and so, unfortunately, we were not able to do that.”
Even so, “the designers helped figure out how to make the launch as successful as they could,” via social media promotion.
Eckstein asked Renee and Hambly how they felt upon finally receiving items from the collection after a four or five month wait.
“That giant box showed up on my doorstep. … My mom was like, ‘Your box is here! Your box is here!” Renee remembered.
“I might have gotten a little bit teary. It was just really incredible to see all this work that we put in and seeing it come to life finally. Seeing something you drew in real life is crazy.”
Hambly had a similar reaction.
“I was really emotional to see that package show up on the doorstep,” she agreed.
“The collection, as a whole, was just something that I had never thought I’d get the opportunity to do.”
When LaBay asked the designers how it feels to see “girls across the country” wearing their pieces, Hambly joked that she hadn’t seen them on people yet because of Covid. She and Renee have seen plenty of people wearing them on social media, however.
“I get a little weepy, honestly, every time someone tags me or shares a photo,” Renee said.
“It’s so gratifying to see happening in real-time, too. I’m a Latina, coming into the show when there hasn’t been a ton of people of color, even in the industry in general, and that kinda resonates with people. Hearing people’s stories, seeing people empowered, I’m very grateful for it.”
Fashion journeys
As the panel wound down, Eckstein asked the participants to describe their personal journeys in fashion.
“You’re all self-made,” she said. “You worked so hard to get where you’re at today.”
Renee’s foray into fashion began while working at a clothing store, studying social science and history as an undergraduate.
“I was always a huge geek, into pop culture,” she said.
Renee moved to San Diego in 2014, which happened to be the first year of the Her Universe Fashion Show. When she caught wind of the event, she’d only been sewing for three months.
“It’s been a learning process and that’s something I’ve been really grateful to this show for.”
Renee won the judge’s runner-up prize the year she entered, “which was crazy and incredibly affirming,” she said. “Fashion is always seen as frivolous for women … and so I’ve really come to appreciate how valid and important fashion is for staying true to yourself and showing off who you are.”
Hambly’s journey in fashion was just as unlikely. It began when she wandered into a Her Universe panel at WonderCon in Anaheim.
“Next thing I know, all these years later, you are just astounding people with your couture fashion,” Eckstein said.
“Honestly, it was a life-changing moment,” Hambly remembered. “All the work was so inspiring.”
Having only hand sewn up to that point and halfway through a degree program unrelated to fashion, Hambly was suddenly interested in learning to sew with a machine.
“Now I get to share all the knowledge I’ve learned and gathered from books and, like, obscure internet resources … across tons of (online) platforms,” she said.
Building a community
Eckstein praised the supportive community Hambly and Renee have fostered since first bonding in line at Comic-Con.
“In an industry that can be really competitive, can be even catty at times, you both have set a tone of support and lifting each other up and empowering each other and I know how much you mentor other designers and I just want to thank you for creating a community along with your other designers,” she said.
LaBay talked about working his way up in the fashion industry to become, as Eckstein likes to call him, “the head of Hot Topic.” He began as a temp at a plumbing company, became a buyer, then spent 10 years with a t-shirt company. He started with Hot Topic as a buyer of men’s tees and eventually had the opportunity to work with Eckstein and Her Universe.
He said he appreciates Eckstein’s philosophy that “girls didn’t need to have pink shirts or have things that were specifically designed with a girl in mind, they needed to be designed for fans regardless of gender. I was so happy to be able to do that with you and grow this amazing community.”
Advice from the designers
When Eckstein asked the panelists what advice they might give to aspiring fashion designers, the three agreed that, as LaBay said, “anyone who loves fashion can become a part of the industry.”
“Honestly, just do it,” Renee said.
“I hear so much from people who are like, ‘I don’t know how to sew,’ or, ‘I’ve never done this before,’ and so they think they can’t do it. … You can do anything that you put your mind to.”
“If you have a passion for fashion, you can be in the industry,” Eckstein agreed.
Virtual Her Universe fashion show announced
The panel wrapped up with the announcement of the return of the Her Universe Fashion Show in 2021 in a virtual format and a highlight reel from past shows.
“Last year, we were so sad we could not have the Her Universe Fashion Show, but there was no way to do it safely,” Eckstein said.
“We start planning the Her Universe Fashion Show in January, so in order to make sure we could bring you the show this year, we had to make the decision to bring the show to you virtually.”
Noting that “we just happen to have three judges from this year’s show here on the panel,” Eckstein asked what advice they would offer to designers looking to submit.
“What I’m looking for … is to really show me storytelling within the garments that they create,” LaBay said.
Renee’s advice was to focus on the details.
“I know I’m a big detail person so the more, like, thought-out your elements and, you know, think about every level of styling, your jewelry, your accessories, how you’re doing your hair. If you’re showing the passion for what you’re designing, I think that’s going to translate to a great runway piece.
Hambly pointed out that the virtual nature of this year’s show means participants aren’t limited by their location or ability to travel to San Diego.
“One of the things I’m going to be looking for is really something totally different, really going that couture route and something totally out of the box,” she said.
“You’re not limited by anything or being anywhere.”
Eckstein agreed that the virtual element of the show will help level the playing field.
“This gives everyone the opportunity to participate in the Her Universe Fashion Show,” she said.
“2020 has been such a tough year on so many people and it’s going to be awhile before everyone is going to be able to come back out and come together at a convention. It’s gonna be different for everyone. We really, really wanted to provide an opportunity where everyone had the opportunity to participate.”
To submit to the Her Universe Fashion Show, click here.
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Photos from the 2019 Her Universe Fashion Show
Style Profile: Photographer Chris Ly shows off streetwear-influenced style
Kylo Ren fan Julie Failde rocks anime-inspired looks
