This Past Week I Had The Honor Of Walking The Runway At The 10th Anniversary Her Universe Fashion Show

This past week I had the honor of walking the runway at the 10th Anniversary Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic Con. To celebrate the history of the show, former winners of the competition (myself included) were given the opportunity to create a new look to wear on the runway. I knew I wanted to design something that was filled to the brim with joy. Immediately and without question, the wild and wonderful game show Game Changer was the first thing that came to mind. My partner introduced me to the show this spring, at a time in our lives when what we needed was unadulterated joy, laughter, kindness, and love. And boy, does this show deliver in spades. There are so many reasons why I love this show, from the extraordinary on-screen talent who always shocks, surprises, and delights me with their wit and quick thinking, to the sincerity with which the cast truly cares about each other. But more than anything, what I love about the show (and all of Dropout's shows) is the outstanding art department. It is rare to see a company put so much faith in artists and their weird wonderful sensibilities, and the way the sets and props are integrated and highlighted in the show is a thrill. Some of my favorite episodes (Beat the Buzzer, Escape the Greenroom) involve elaborate design work that makes my heart full and my imagination soar. As an interdisciplinary weirdo myself, to see such celebration of art in all its forms is a triumph. I wanted to pay homage to the incredible aesthetic of the show with this design. The pants feature the iconic loop-de-loop set pieces, which I individually patterned and sewed together with metallic lamé fabric interfaced within an inch of its life. The top references the colorful podium arches, also hand-drafted metallic lamé fabric featuring a hidden interior corset. I had a blast 3D rendering the buzzer ring in Fusion360 and 3D printing the components (there’s a hidden LED panel built into the base that I harvested from a tap light). And the scoreboard sunglasses were drafted in Illustrator and laser cut! Oh, and there’s a hidden loop-de-loop on my golden shrug. You know, for immunity. Thanks to everyone at Game Changer and Dropout for bringing so much joy to the world at a time when we need it most. You fill so many people’s hearts with light and laughter. I had an incredible time at the show reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, and meeting so many fellow Game Changer fans as a result! Thanks forever to Ashley Eckstein for founding the Her Universe Fashion Show, and for putting geek couture on the map!