On July 24, fangirl fashion and lifestyle brand Her Universe kicked off San Diego Comic-Con 2025 with their 11th Annual Her Universe Fashion Show. Founded in 2010 by American actress and fashion designer Ashley Eckstein, Her Universe has celebrated fandom, inclusivity, and creativity through geek couture, touching lives and inspiring designers and fashion enthusiasts of all ages, ethnicities, shapes, and sizes. In 2024, I had the privilege of attending the 10th Annual Her Universe Fashion Show as a first-time attendee and loved it. As an adolescent, I was bullied and dealt with body dysmorphia, especially when it came to my weight and how I fit into clothes. It heavily affected what I wore to school. Instead of wearing stuff I found cute, I often chose to wear bland clothes to avoid any extra attention to myself. But as an adult, I’ve worked to build my confidence and wear what I want. Now, my closet is an accumulation of color, including a good selection of Her Universe cardigans. Her Universe may not be for everyone, but their brand helped me come out of my shell and embrace how I defined fashion.
This year, the Her Universe Fashion Show was sponsored by Universal and set to celebrate Wicked, Wicked: For Good, and other Universal Pictures fandoms with its largest audience to date. With its theme of “Defying Fashion: Fashion That Defies Expectations,” audience members were thrust into the wonderful world of Oz. Before entering the Seaport Ballroom at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, audience members were able to experience a Wicked-themed immersive experience, featuring photo ops, costumes from the 2024 film, and a first look at products designed for the November 2025 release of Wicked: For Good. And upon seating themselves, audience members were also each gifted an exclusive Lug Coupe XL Crossbody and Wicked-themed swag, including Wicked KISS nail and lash extensions, along with Wicked: For Good surprise small dolls from Mattel.
Photo taken by on-site photographer Mark Edwards, provided by Triple 7 PR.
In a Glinda-inspired dress, Ashley descended the runway on a remote-controlled moving platform that delighted the audience. Her dress, pink, printed on over 200 pieces of paper and weighing almost 50 pounds, was made from the letters sent by fans who were moved by Her Universe and its mission. After a heartfelt and riveting speech welcoming everyone in the audience, Ashley welcomed her high school friend, co-host, and Broadway star, Michael James Scott, to the stage. Best known for his role as the Genie in the Broadway musical rendition of Aladdin, and dressed in an ensemble worthy of the Wicked Witch of the West, Michael revealed himself among the audience and brought the spirit of Broadway with him on stage.
Throughout the show, Ashley and Michael donned six next-level Wicked-inspired outfits designed by 2014 Audience Winner Andrew McLaine, who was assisted by 2016 Judges’ Winner Hannah Kent, and performed a duet medley of songs from Wicked. Michael wowed audience members with a spectacular rendition of Elphaba’s iconic anthem, “Defying Gravity.” As a Broadway fan, his performance took my breath away. For her final appearance on stage, Ashley wore a truly unique dress designed by McLaine and assembled on-site by floral designer Rochelle Leigh Wall. Inspired by the beautifully iconic tulip fields in Wicked, her dress was a one-of-a-kind gown that featured 2,400 fresh tulips complete with a matching headpiece and shoes. It was very obvious that a lot of care and attention to detail were put into her last ensemble on stage.
Each year, two winners are carefully selected at the end of the show. To be more specific, one winner is chosen by the judges, and the following winner is chosen by the audience members. To vote, audience members are provided a ballot at the start of the show to later vote for their favorite designer. This year, the judges included actress and disability rights advocate Marissa Bode, Variety Senior Culture and Events Editor Marc Malkin, Senior VP of Hot Topic Merchandising Robin Motts, and the 2024 Her Universe Fashion Show winners, Wes Jenkins and Candice Miller.
The twenty-five designers, who were initially selected by Ashley and Her Universe staff members based on submitted designs, were divided into five separate groups. This year, the designers were a mix of first-time and returning participants from across the country. Before each group unveiled its designs, the individual designers were introduced via pre-recorded introductions that gave insight into their creative journeys, what led them to fashion, and what inspired the piece they would be showcasing for the show. Along with ballots, audience members were provided a small catalog listing the names, social media accounts, and concept art attributed to the individual designers.
Group 1 was comprised of designers inspired by DreamWorks Animation films. Inspired by Trolls, Lynleigh Sato dubbed her design “Poppy’s Hues of Happiness.” Inspired by How to Train Your Dragon, Mandy McLean Couch dubbed her design “The Night Fury.” Also inspired by How to Train Your Dragon, Jennifer Biladeau dubbed her design “She is Made of Sky.” Inspired by DreamWorks’ Shrek, Leah Mednick dubbed her design “Fire in My Blood.” Inspired by Megamind, Kayleigh Michelle dubbed her design “Turn Around.” Inspired by The Wild Robot, Emma Joy dubbed her design “I Am Wild.”
Group 2 was comprised of designers inspired by various projects. Inspired by Jurassic Park, Cat Gravereaux dubbed her design “Silhouette of Scales.” Also inspired by Jurassic Park, Catherine Hart dubbed her design “Track of the Beast.” Inspired by Nope, Steph Piper dubbed her design “A Strange Cloud.” Inspired by The Mummy, Caitlin Beards dubbed her design “Couture of the Dead.” Inspired by Psycho, Samantha Strickland dubbed her design “Screaming in Style.”
Photo taken by on-site photographer Mark Edwards, provided by Triple 7 PR.
Group 3 was comprised of designers inspired by Wicked. Terence Johnson dubbed his design “Bubble Boy.” Melissa Lynnette dubbed her design “Look to the Western Sky.” Meredith Heika dubbed her design “The Great & Powerful.” Grace Meeks dubbed her design “Pink Goes Good With Green.”
Group 4 was comprised of designers inspired by various projects. Inspired by Saturday Night Live, Margaret Kidwell dubbed her design “In A Gown Down by the River.” Inspired by Blues Brothers, Megg Waddington dubbed her design “The Blues Brothers.” Inspired by Where’s Waldo, Aaliyah Frye dubbed her design “Here I Am!” Inspired by E.T., Katherine Everything dubbed her design “Be Good.” Inspired by Despicable Me, Katie Strube dubbed her design “Despicable Fashion!”
Lastly, Group 5 was comprised of designers inspired by classic monster movies. Inspired by Creature from the Black Lagoon, Jen Wolff dubbed her design “Suit from the Black Lagoon.” Inspired by The Bride of Frankenstein, Ericka Angiuli dubbed her design “Electric Love.” Inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, Prue dubbed her design “Candelit Couture.” Inspired by Dracula, Paige Campbell dubbed her design “In Bloody Matrimony.” Inspired by The Invisible Man, Kiki Cotter dubbed her design “Do You Want Me to Take This Off?”
After another look at the designs, audience members were then instructed to make their final choice and pass along their ballots to HU staff members. I was briefly stuck between two of the designers, but since a choice had to be made, I jotted down my vote for the winner and handed in my ballot. As the audience ballots were being counted, Michael delivered another outstanding musical performance with his “90s Mixtape” medley from his solo symphonic show, A DREAM IS A WISH. Audience members cheered and sang along, and the energy in the room was becoming increasingly contagious.
Ultimately, two exceptional designers were selected as winners of the 2025 Her Universe Fashion Show. Lynleigh Sato was crowned the Judges’ Winner, and Caitlin Beards was crowned the Audience Winner. Both designers were awarded a $2,000 cash prize as well as the opportunity to design a fashion collection with Her Universe. Stay tuned to their social media accounts to learn what’s next for their creative journeys!
And if you are interested in watching the show secondhand, click here to subscribe to the Her Universe YouTube Channel and check out footage from previous years!
