The 11th Annual Her Universe Fashion Show Presented by Universal, wowed its largest audience to date with an amazafying evening celebrating Wicked, Wicked: For Good and Universal Pictures fandoms with its theme of “Defying Fashion: Fashion That Defies Expectations.”
Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein, said “When we rolled out our very first runway eleven years ago, it was just a small spark of an idea. Tonight, that spark has become a supernova. Watching geek couture explode in this powerhouse of a community— overflowing with creativity, inclusivity, and sheer joy—absolutely takes my breath away.”
Ahead of entering the Seaport Ballroom at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, audience members experienced a Wicked-themed immersive lobby featuring pop ups such as a KISS nail booth, photo ops, costumes from the film, LEGO big builds and product displays showcasing the best of Wicked and a first-look at products from Wicked: For Good.
Making her most remarkable fashion show entrance yet, Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein floated down the runway in a remote-controlled moving platform inspired by Glinda, engineered by world-class special effects sponsor, AOA. This magical moment was brought to life by the transformation of the stage to the World of Oz through beautiful motion graphics and projection media designed by ALTRD Projections and state of the art Barco projectors.
Donning six remarkable Wicked-inspired looks designed by Andrew McLaine and assistant Hannah Kent, co-hosts Ashley Eckstein and Michael James Scott provided a next-level fashion experience celebrating the land of Oz. Hair and makeup were created by Veronica Nunez, with help from Leibi Carias.
For the first time ever, Ashley Eckstein and Michael James Scott performed a duet medley of songs from Wicked on The Her Universe Fashion Show stage culminating in a finale with Scott thrilling audiences with his spectacular rendition of Elphaba’s anthem, “Defying Gravity.”
Actress and advocate Marissa Bode made a live appearance ahead of the release of Wicked: For Good as a guest judge. She joined the expert panel including Variety’s Senior Culture & Events Editor, Marc Malkin, Hot Topic’s SVP of Merchandising, Robin Motts, and the 2024 show winners, Wes Jenkins and Candice Miller.
“I came expecting a fashion show; but nothing could have prepared me for this warm, vibrant, and inclusive community,” said Marissa Bode. “The very welcoming and creative voices on this runway made this a Wicked-ly memorable evening.”
While the audience ballots were counted, Michael James Scott returned to the stage to deliver a jolt of pure musical adrenaline with his “90s Mixtape” medley from his solo symphonic show, A DREAM IS A WISH.
For her final look, Eckstein wore a dress so fresh, it had to be assembled onsite. Inspired by the tulip fields in Wicked, designed by Andrew McLaine, and executed by floral designer Rochelle Leigh Wall of delightful! Flower co., the one-of-a-kind work of art featured 2,400 fresh tulips complete with a matching floral headpiece and shoes.
This year’s two winning designers, who will each receive the opportunity to design a fashion collection with Her Universe and $2,000, are:
Judges Winner: Lynleigh Sato, Redondo Beach, CA, @lynleighsato
Audience Winner: Caitlin Beards, Randolph, NJ, @ladyavadesigns
The excitement soared as each audience member was gifted the exclusive LUG Coupe XL Crossbody, a fan-favorite from the brand that puts joy in every journey.
Fans also scored additional swag including Wicked KISS nail and KISS lash extensions plus the newly released Wicked: For Good small dolls from Mattel.
The Her Universe Fashion Show footage will be available online next week exclusively at www.youtube.com/user/HerUniverseChannel.
Fans should follow Her Universe on social media (@heruniverse on IG, X, Facebook and @officialheruniverse on TikTok) and use hashtag #HerUniverseFashionShow for special behind-the-scenes event content.
ABOUT HER UNIVERSE
Her Universe is known as the groundbreaking fandom fashion company and lifestyle brand originally founded by Ashley Eckstein in 2010. Her Universe strives to cultivate a fandom-centric community powered by women to be authentically themselves and celebrate what they love by designing quality, fandom-centric, size-inclusive, stylish merchandise. For more information, visit heruniverse.com and follow @heruniverse on Instagram, X, Facebook and @officialheruniverse on TikTok.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL PRODUCTS & EXPERIENCES
Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) globally drives the expansion and elevation of NBCUniversal’s iconic collection of brands, intellectual properties, characters, and stories based on the company’s extensive portfolio of properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. The division executes this through innovative physical and digital products, as well as engaging retail and product experiences across our expansive global theme park destinations (for both owned and third-party IP), location-based venues, e-commerce product platforms, and retailers around the world. Along with global brand strategy and creative, UP&E’s lines of business include Consumer Products and Games, along with Theme Parks Products & Retail. UP&E is a division of Universal Destinations & Experiences, part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. More information is available at universalproductsexperiences.com.
ABOUT WICKED: FOR GOOD
Last year’s global cinematic cultural sensation, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time, now reaches its epic, electrifying, emotional conclusion. The final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba (Oscar® nominee Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Oscar® nominee Ariana Grande) estranged and living with the consequences of their choices. When a girl from Kansas comes crashing into their lives, they will need to come together one final time, and truly see each other, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.
