In a night that was equal parts celebration of fashion, art and the heroic, the 2026 Her Universe Fashion Show stepped into a new era with an immersive show that brought the audience fully into the experience. From a runway that cut the audience into quarters to a pre-show featuring the on-stage creation of Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein’s opening couture-look to fully choreographed musical interludes, the night brought creativity into the standing-room-only audience.
Michael James Scott and Ashley Eckstein
Photo by: John Salangsang / Shutterstock for Hot Topic
The show opened with a message from Eckstein, emphasizing the importance of art being made by artists — the hour before the show centered the creation process as she livestreamed her own DC-inspired opening dress being air-brushed on stage in front of the audience. Not only did this give everyone at home a sneak-peek of the show coming to life, but set the entire tone for a celebration of the art of creation and the humans who make it possible.
The new cross-room runway lit up as each group of contestants took the stage in a night that was a joyous tribute to DC and the impact the publisher has had on pop-culture and imagination. From designs inspired by Batman to iconic villains like Catwoman to the Young Justice League, so much cultural iconography was represented by each piece.
Ashley Eckstein. Lauren “Ren” Wilkinson – The Beast Within, Inspired by The Beast. Sean Quinn – Jokes on You, Inspired by Harley Quinn. Michael James Scott
This year’s judge’s winner was Sean Quinn for “Jokes on You”, inspired by Harley Quinn. The audience winner was Lauren “Ren” Wilkinson for “The Beast Within”, inspired by The Beast. Congratulations to them both! A third winner will be chosen before the end of San Diego Comic-Con by attendees voting a the Her Universe booth on the exhibit hall floor.
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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 Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products:
Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP), part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Revenue & Strategy division, extends the company’s powerful portfolio of entertainment brands and franchises into the lives of fans around the world. WBDGCP partners with best-in-class licensees globally on award-winning toy, fashion, home décor and publishing programs inspired by the biggest franchises from Warner Bros.’ film, television, animation, and games studios, HBO, Discovery, DC, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Eurosport, Adult Swim, and more. With innovative global licensing and merchandising programs, retail initiatives, and promotional partnerships, WBDGCP is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.
DC, part of Warner Bros. Discovery, creates iconic characters and enduring stories and is one of the world’s largest publishers of comics and graphic novels. DC’s creative work entertains audiences of every generation around the world with DC’s stories and characters integrated across Warner Bros. Discovery’s film, television, animation, consumer products, home entertainment, games, and themed experiences divisions, and on the DC Universe Infinite digital comic subscription service. Learn more at DC.com.
