SDCC's Her Universe Fashion Show: Inside the contest, the camraderie, and the costumes with Ashley Eckstein, Hot Topic, and the winners

Once again, fashion ruled at Comic-Con International: San Diego. We're not talking about the cosplay or the cute comic creator lewks (amazing as they might be!), we're talking about the annual Her Universe Fashion Show.

Popverse's Ashley V. Robinson and Illianna Gonazelez-Soto were in the crowd (and backstage!) Thursday night for the ninth annual Her Universe Fashion Show - a geek couture journey orchestrated by founder Ashley Eckstein into the heart and soul of our inner fandom, as displayed on the bodies of amazing and talented designers and models. This year, the theme was '100 Years of Disney' - something Eckstein knows something about as the voice of Star Wars' Ahsoka Tano, and also the self-professed "biggest Disney fan" ever.

(And Eckstein made sure to note that the Her Universe Fashion Show was done in full compliance with SAG-AFTA per the current actor's strike rules.)

Following the event, Popverse's Ashley V. Robinson was able to chat with Eckstein (a familiar face at Popverse!), Hot Topic's VP of brand marketing Andrea Lewis, as well as this year's fashion show judge's winner Rachel Patterson and audience winner Raeven K. about the contest, the camraderie, and yes... the costumes.

“We work so hard and when it happens it just is truly like a dream,” Eckstein tells Popverse, "and the next day you wake up and you're like: 'Did we just do that?' 'Did that just happen?'"

Watch our full interview with Ashley Eckstein here:

“After[ the Fashion Show] I work with the team and the winners,” Lewis explains to Popverse, "when they're colletion is launching to really set up the marketing for them and give them that platform and introduce these designers to the world."

Watch our full interview with Hot Topic's VP of brand marketing Andrea Lewis here:

"My design was inspired by a 1986 vinyl record called Totally Minnie that I had as a kid," Patterson revealed to Popverse about her winning design, "and Minnie and the 80s, in my mind, they just - they just go together. And, you know, we're seeing so much more 80s fashion starting to come up on runways with 80s Rivivalism that it was just - my brain said: 'Oh my gosh! These two have to go together!'"

Watch our full interview with the ninth annual Her Universe fashion show judge's winner Rachel Patterson here:

"[Storm] consistently shows up powerful no matter what you put her in" Raeven K. shares with Popverse about the comic book inspiratoin behind her Mistress of the Elements design, "so regardless of what costume she's in she's always going to be elegant. She's always going to be in control and she's always going to be an amazing leader. She's just such a good leader, oh my gosh!"

Watch our full 5 minute interview with the ninth annual Her Universe fashion show audience winner Raeven K. here:

Winners of the Her Universe Fashion Show will be designing collection for Hot Topic and Disney Parks and The Her Universe Fashion Show will return to San Diego Comic-Con next year for their 10th anniversary. .

Popverse saw it and did most of it, and you can find all about our guide to All the big news, magic, and moments from San Diego Comic-Con. And if you want to go to SDCC next year, we have the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 dates as well.