As a lifelong "Star Wars" fan, Ashley Eckstein was thrilled to be cast in the animated show "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" as the voice of Ahsoka Tano in 2008.
But when she started attending conventions and press events for the show, she had a problem many fans might relate to: she couldn't find any stylish "Star Wars" merchandise for women.
"I went shopping and literally came up empty-handed," she said. "I did my research and there was nothing."
So Eckstein wound up shopping in the boys' section — but she also decided to do something about it.
Now, she's turned that frustration into Her Universe, a multimillion-dollar company that designs and sells women's clothing not only for "Star Wars" fans, but also fans of the Marvel, Doctor Who, Transformers, and Star Trek franchises.
It wasn't easy for Eckstein to get licensing rights for Her Universe. In fact, it took three tries before Disney and Lucasfilm granted Her Universe permission to use "Star Wars" imagery. Eckstein was rejected twice because she was applying for the license as an individual and not as a company — "they literally canceled the meetings before I even got in the door," she said.
Then, she decided to partner with a company called The Araca Group to create Her Universe, and Lucasfilm relented.
"I have to give Lucasfilm so much credit because at the time, nobody wanted to touch the female fan base," Eckstein told TI. "I had another licensee tell me, 'We have the license for girls but we don't make anything [for them] because we don't make any money off of it.'"
But Eckstein had an inkling that clothes that went beyond the typical pink logo T-shirt would strongly resonate with female customers.
The references to "Star Wars" in Her Universe's clothes can be subtle, like on this BB-8-inspired bomber jacket, or more overt, like on this Chewie pullover. But they're always more interesting than other women's Star Wars clothes that Eckstein says "treat the female customer like an afterthought."
"It was like, 'Okay, well, we've designed these 15 shirts for boys. I guess we should design one for girls,'" Eckstein said. "What they didn't realize is they weren't giving female fans what they wanted. I knew what I wanted and I wanted that Darth Vader 'Empire Strikes Back' poster on a T-shirt. I wanted that 'Star Wars' logo on a blue T-shirt, not a pink T-shirt."
And Eckstein's approach — designing the clothes she wants to wear — is working. Her Universe made $200,000 in sales its first year, she said, and is now a multimillion dollar company.
Her Universe is available online and at Hot Topic, but in the beginning, Lucasfilm would only grant a license for Eckstein to sell her products at fan conventions. Eckstein says this was the best move in the long run because it created a demand for her products before they even hit the mainstream marketplace.
"We needed the fan base first," Eckstein said. "We had a call to action with our army of fan girls and they spoke with their dollars."
Now, Her Universe's goal is "to make girls geek chic from head to toe," Eckstein said. "The thing about someone who calls themselves a 'Star Wars' fan is it's a lifestyle. It's part of who you are. Hi, I'm Ashley, I like to cook, my favorite color is blue — and I'm a 'Star Wars' fan."
Like all other fans, Eckstein is gearing up for the premiere of "Star Wars — Episode VII: The Force Awakens." Despite being a "Star Wars" actor and licensee, though, she's not going to an A-list party or early premiere. Instead, she's excited to watch at a showing with fellow fans at Disney World.
"I'll be there with my lightsaber," she said. "I'll be one of those people."
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