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Her Universe Founder Ashley Eckstein on 10th Anniversary Fashion Show

Ashley Eckstein (The Clone Wars, Tales of the Jedi) spoke to Bleeding Cool about the 10th anniversary of Her Universe Fashion Show at SDCC '24

To say that Ahsoka Tano was the role of a lifetime for Ashley Eckstein would be an understatement. Since her casting in Dave Filoni's animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the actress has lived off the positive impact of the character and its influence on the franchise's fans across the 16 years and multiple series. Joined by her high school friend and star of Aladdin on Broadway, Michael James Scott, Eckstein will be hosting the 10th anniversary of the Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic-Con, sponsored by Mattel, and celebrating 14 years of Her Universe, which is directed by Jeremy Merrifield. Eckstein spoke to Bleeding Cool about the origins of the Her Universe brand, growing up on Mattel toys and having them as a sponsor, growing up with Scott, and more.

How Ashley Eckstein Brought Her Universe to Life Through Ahsoka

BC: What are some of the biggest lessons you've learned from running Her Universe for 14 years and the Fashion Show for 10?

AE: The biggest lesson is you can do anything with hard work, passion, and the right team. My background is in acting, and I knew nothing about running a business, fashion, or licensing. I knew nothing about any of the facets of running a business. When I had the idea to start Her Universe, I told my husband, "I have to do this," and he was supportive. He said, "Build your team. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you." He wasn't saying I wasn't smart, but he meant to find experts in each field and have them teach you." That's what I did. We had a small team, but we did it.

The Her Universe Fashion Show, I had only ever been to one fashion show in my life, and I had been to one fashion show as a kid [laughs] in the mall. I didn't know much about fashion shows but realized there was a need. I knew fans and designers needed a runway to showcase their incredible designs, and I wanted to be able to provide that for them, so anything's possible.

To wrap up your question concerning this year's show, it's presented by Mattel. I've been a lifelong Barbie fan. At my birthday party in kindergarten, I remember all I wanted was Barbie; that's all I wanted. Every present I got was a Barbie, and I learned I could be many different things. What Her Universe has taught me, which Barbie also taught me as a kid is, "You're not in one box. You're not one thing. We can all do many things. I can be an actress, but I can run a business. I can be an author and advocate for mental health." I can do many things, not just one thing. That's a big lesson I've learned from Her Universe.

What does it mean to have Mattel's sponsor for the fashion show?

It's a big deal because I've been a lifelong fan. I am completely geeking out to be working with Mattel. I already shared my Barbie story, but in the 90s, once Polly Pocket came out, that was my jam. It also became my nickname. A lot of people would call me "Polly Pocket," because I'm short. To this day, that's the number one thing people say when they meet me. They tell me, "You're taller than we thought you were."

Growing up, people called me "Polly Pocket" because I was usually the shortest of the group, but I never took that as a negative, and I owned and loved that nickname. It was even truer than just my size. Polly is in her world and that was always me. I was always in the world I created, and I loved when people called me "Polly Pocket." Playing with iconic brands like Barbie and Polly Pocket, I remember one of my favorite games my family would always play was Uno. I have many memories of sitting around the table playing Uno with my family and relatives, so I have deep connections to Mattel. To combine, all the things I love on one stage are special.

How do you describe your working relationship with Michael, and what does he bring to Her Universe and serve as co-host of the fashion show?

Michael is my hype friend, and I am his. We have been friends since high school. I met Michael when I was a freshman in high school, and he was a sophomore. We were in theatre together at a charter or magnet school for acting, every day after school. In some of our classes, we performed in several plays together, and became the greatest of friends, growing up together. We've been supporting each other ever since high school and are each other's biggest fans. We hype each other up and have great chemistry that goes back to when we were kids. It's so obvious we can't hide it. We have the best time when we're together so when we're on stage, hopefully, everyone will become friends with us. We love spending time together and I promise you. We have a lot of fun up our sleeves, and it will be a fun show.

What are some of your favorites from last year?

Michael and I are most known for being a part of the world of Disney. That's something that is kids growing up in Orlando, Florida, where we grew up and it's a part of our DNA and childhood. For us to be able to be working so much with Disney as adults, we are living our dream and, we don't take it for granted. We're so grateful for all the opportunities we get and then do them together. We started in high school in Orlando, Florida, and all these years later, the world of Disney has brought the two of us back together is special. Last year's show…every year, we say, "How are we going to top that?" I don't know how we're going to top that. This year, we're putting together a show. I promise you this is going to be the best year yet. We are combining different things and genres to create our looks. One of my looks is something that I've been dreaming of doing since 2017 and I haven't been able to pull off. This year, the team came together, and we pulled it off, and it will be special.

The Her Universe Fashion Show takes place July 25 at 6 p.m. PT at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego at SDCC. You can check out more information here.

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