Funko Pop couture is a new trend!
Ashley Eckstein, founder of Her Universe Fashion Show, and designer Andrew MacLaine, pushed boundaries once more to create a one-of-a-kind couture gown inspired by Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas.
This time around, the motive of the fashion show was "milestones." Fitting, with the different anniversaries celebrated this year at the San Diego International Comic-Con, including the 25th anniversary of Nightmare Before Christmas, 20 years of Powerpuff Girls, 10 years of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the fifth edition of Her Universe Fashion Show, a celebration of fashion and fandom that started in 2013 and it has become a staple of SDCC.
It was a night full of surprises that kicked off with the introduction of the Funko Pop gown made with around 500 Jack Skellington's heads, weighing 40 pounds. It took designer Andrew MacLaine three weeks to create using mainly the construction technique, but he confessed that the most challenging part was to conceptualize the dress, a dress that was an absolute hit with the crowd.
And we had to talk about another important milestone that inspired Ashley Eckstein to start this fashion show: The Clone Wars.
From left to right, Dee Bradley Baker (Clone Trooper) and Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker) from Clone Wars.
Tania González/CNET
After this morning's announcement of the return of the show, Eckstein welcomed the opportunity to give life once again to the legendary Ahsoka Tano, and invited Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker) and Dee Bradley Baker (Clone Trooper) to join her in the stage and talk about what it means to them to be back on the popular animated series.
"Us as fans and also as performers on the show, getting back together and doing a dance, it's incredible," said Lanter, while Baker shared that it was his Hollywood wish come true.
Now it was the 24 finalists' turn to show off their designs in the catwalk. We saw incredible creations inspired by their favorite fandoms, ranging from Aliens, the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland to yes, even some Godzilla couture included. The designers used transformation elements, LED lights and complex techniques like garment construction, dyeing, draping and more.
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But the surprises kept coming. The fashion show was briefly interrupted to amaze the attendees with Jodie Whittaker, the first female actress to be cast as The Doctor in the BBC show Doctor Who. She walked the runway wearing aDoctor Who Her Universe inspired outfit. "You don't dress like a boy or a girl, you're dressed like The Doctor," said Whittaker about the designs of this line that offer gender neutrality.
Jodie Whittaker joking around with Ashley Eckstein after working the catwalk of the Her Universe Fashion Show.
Tania González/CNET
After a roller-coaster ride full of surprises, we finally got to meet the three winners of the 2018 Her Universe Fashion Show: Cynthia Kirkland for The Couture of Water (inspired by The Shape of Water) was the judges' winner; Jane Burson for Howl-In' For You (Howl's Moving Castle) became the Singer sewing winner and the audience picked Kristi Siedow-Thompson for PWL Chic: Ripley in the Powerloader (Aliens).
The winners will start work tomorrow designing a collection for Spring 2019, inspired by Marvel's Avengers 4.
From left to right, designer Jane Burson; designer Kristi Siedow-Thompson joined by her model; Asheley Eckstein; model wearing The Couture of Water (The Shape of Water) with designer Cynthia Kirkland.
Tania González/CNET
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