By: Isabel S. Dieppa
Cosplayers, aspiring designers, and fandom fashion enthusiasts patiently waited in snaked lines at the Wonder Con Her Universe 2024 Fashion Show Update panel.
The big news is that this year’s fashion show will be the ten year anniversary of Her Universe. And the 2024 show promises to bring on the fun and games, with their sponsor Mattel.
“You can tell by my Barbie pink today I was very, very excited,” said Her Universe creator Ashley Eckstein at the WonderCon panel.
This year’s theme is celebrating Mattel, not just Barbie–– although Barbie is celebrating her 65 anniversary this year as well.
For this year’s show applicants for the annual fashion show are asked to create a design inspired by Mattel. It can be any Mattel property, Barbie, Polly Pocket, Masters of the Universe, Monster High, Hot Wheels, as long as Mattel owns it, it’s fair game.
The annual fashion show which has become a staple at San Diego Comic Con but it is more than your usual fashion show. The show is an opportunity for aspiring designers to design, create, and compete for one of two winning slots.
The winners of the Her Universe Fashion show get the chance to design their own capsule for Her Universe to be sold in Hot Topic retail stores nationwide.
“The foundation of SDCC and WonderCon is education. We want to give designers a chance to design professionally and a chance to see your designs in stores,” Eckstein said.
The Her Universe fashion show is currently accepting submissions through April 29. Aspiring designers can submit their designs until 11:59 PT, April 29.
Eckstein recommends applicants submit their designs as soon as possible and not wait until the last minute.
Her Universe’s Best Advice for aspiring designers
So what does it take for a person to be chosen to enter the Her Universe fashion show?
Every year the judges must narrow down from hundreds of applicants to 25.
Eckstein, and the panelists which included last year’s winner Rachel Petterson and Raeven K. Harris, Mallory Leveille, an assistant buyer at Hot Topic, and past judge for the competition, and Symantha Perrera, a senior fashion designer for Box Lunch. The panel gave aspiring designers their best advice and tips.
The first piece of advice is to submit a design a person knows they can deliver.
“When we pick the top 25 designers we want to make sure that what you sketched you can deliver” Eckstein said.
“Being that it was my first time I felt I needed to cover all my bases. I didn’t want anybody to have questions about what I was submitting.” K. Harris said. “I submitted three separate looks of the same character. But it was making sure that I ran the gamut of submitting–– one that is simple, one that is more outlandish. My advice is to use them all and over explain things.”
Ultimately the most complex of K. Harris’ three Storm designs was chosen to enter the competition.
For Petterson, 2023 was the third time she submitted a design, with her design of Mini Mouse.
“From the first, to the third I would say my design skills really grew. I would say I looked at what was accepted in years that I wasn’t accepted. What was I lacking,” Petterson said.
Petterson said she analyzed where her designs perhaps fell short and what she didn’t give the judges in her first two submissions.
“The few things that were missing from my early submissions were the explanations, the clear annotated ‘I’ll be doing this, using this type of fabric, this type of embellishment to really show I can accomplish this’,” Petterson said.
Petterson also highly recommended designers use video to explain in their own words what they are trying to do. A recommendation backed by Eckstein.
“Oftentimes the designer that submits a video, that explains their look vs someone that doesn’t, we will end up picking the designer with the video because they are able to more clearly explain to us ‘this is how I’m going to make the look’, ” Eckstein said. They show us fabric.They show us their past work and it really helps.”
In addition to thoroughly explaining a design that a designer can deliver, panelists also recommended designers submit a high concept design, not a cosplay.
“For me first and foremost, your interpretation of your character. Your property that you’re trying to come off with. We really want to make sure that it’s not a cosplay piece and you’re really designing something that is couture and a look that is unique,” Leveille said.
For Perrera, who turns out hundreds of designs a month, it’s about leaning into the details.
“I personally look for fabrications, how you push that fabrication. Show me something new. I want to be inspired by this as well. These are meant to be runway pieces. Make a show stopper. Go for that audience win. Go for that judges win,” Perrera said.
Lastly Eckstein advised that designers give a head to toe look. Previously designers could submit a design a top and not think of the complete look, but not anymore.
“Really give us a head to toe look. I think that is one way over the ten years that the Her Universe fashion show has evolved. It really is a complete look,” Eckstein said. “Think shoes, think head piece, think purse. We want to see the whole look”
Designers have until April 29 to submit their designs. Those interested can apply here.
Will you be entering the Her Universe Fashion Show?
Photo by Isabel S. Dieppa