Hearing those stories and going through it first-hand, Eckstein decided to bring mental health out of the shadows and talk about it plainly through Her Universe. “I even found myself the subject of some pretty bad cyber-bullying when I toured for my book, ‘It’s Your Universe,’ and I had fans and girls come up to me and tell me about the bullying they were experiencing.” Last year’s Junior Fashion Show winners created a Powerpuff Girls 20th anniversary capsule collection for BoxLunch.įor Eckstein, a big part of being inclusive also means including a conversation about mental health in the geek community, especially among women and young girls who often find themselves cyber-bullied. “Steven Universe” is a presenting sponsor for the Her Universe Junior Fashion Show for designers age 6 through 17. “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” is a presenting sponsor of this year’s fashion show where 24 designers from across the country will compete for a chance to win the opportunity to design a line of clothing for Hot Topic. “‘She-Ra,’ Cartoon Network and Hot Topic, we’re all making that statement with this show this year.” “Being inclusive has always been really important to me from day one,” Eckstain said. And Hot Topic has long been a retailer that has supported inclusion, she said. “We design an outfit like an armor you’re putting on for the day to fight the daily battle of life and to remind you, you are powerful.”Īt the heart of affording everyone the ability to feel powerful, Eckstein said, is the overall idea of inclusion and community.īoth the DreamWorks and Cartoon Network shows have been praised for their inclusive themes acceptance and LGBTQ representation.

“I grew up with She-Ra and I was inspired by the Princess of Power,” she said. This year Eckstein hopes to continue inspiring young designers at the July 18 show in the Harbor ballroom at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel in San Diego where Her Universe, DreamWorks’ “ She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” and Cartoon Network’s “ Steven Universe” have teamed up to bring a whole new bumper crop of talented designers to Comic-Con to show the world the power of fashion, this year’s theme. “It’s always so exciting when you do those panels, and I love, love, love when I see them go off and make it happen,” she said.

Ashley her universe