Michael James Scott returns for Her Universe Fashion Show 10th Anniversary [SDCC]

[00:00:00] Oh, it's so great to meet you, Michael. Hello, Jenna. Nice to see you as well. Nice to see you. And you're in New York and I'm in New York, so I'm excited about that. That's right. Oh my gosh, it's so warm, right?

[00:00:24] It is so warm. I mean, especially in Manhattan. Forget it. I know. It's so crazy. We're from zero to 100. It's crazy. I love it. It's nice to chat with you. You too. And I am actually the host and producer of Portrait of a Fangirl podcast.

[00:00:41] And we discuss with our guests the way fandom empowers women professionally and personally. And you, my friend, are our very first fanboy. And I'm so excited. Oh my gosh. I'm so honored. Yes. I'm very, very excited.

[00:00:59] Thank you. I'm excited too. I did not know that. I'm very well, okay. Yes. I would wear that with a badge of honor right there. Yeah, you're at the fashion show. I'm going to get you like a little pin or something. Yes. Yes. Speaking of fangirling,

[00:01:14] I am a huge fan of the Her Universe fashion show and I'm super excited for this 10th anniversary year. What can fans expect for this year? Well, I mean, you know, I'm also a fan and it's obviously, you know, the legendary now

[00:01:33] iconic event, San Diego Comic Con. I think they're kicking off, right? Which is just sort of like an incredible, incredible event that I just, it's just really exciting to be a part of, obviously with founder Ashley Eckstein. Everything you can expect is everything that you

[00:01:49] think. It's all, it's everything. It's the fashion, it's the fun, it's the, you know, it's all of the couture that comes together in this incredible event that really sets it off. And, you know, it's the 10th anniversary so we're going big or we're going home. So it's, you

[00:02:09] know, obviously I can't give away too many things, but you can expect all of the incredible things that you come to learn and know and love about this event. The fashion,

[00:02:19] all of the looks, all of the community, all of that. That is what you can expect this year. There's so many, I think also what's fun about this year, obviously, Mattel is, it's specifically, you know, that's one of the sponsors of the show. So it's going

[00:02:36] to be really exciting to explore what that world is and see what the designers really go. And I've had some sneak peeks, I must say, Miss Jenna. So I'm really excited about what the

[00:02:48] fans are going to get to see with this world and all of the fun that it has to bring in it, obviously into the ballroom. Oh, it's going to be fantastic. This is going to be my

[00:02:58] first year ever attending San Diego and the Her Universe Fashion Show. So personally, I'm very excited. Oh my gosh, that's so exciting. It was my first last year. And so I, you know, my girl Ashley Exide had given me a little warning. She was like,

[00:03:16] she was like, it's unlike anything. I can't even really explain it, and then I was like, okay. And obviously I knew about the fashion. I knew about all of the fun things that happened. But then it was really mind blowing. I mean, it really was. It was just

[00:03:31] like, it was like being in a community of fashion, you know, geek couture heaven, people just like all together were just supporting each other and love and light and laughter. And it was just incredible. So I'm excited for you to experience it for your

[00:03:51] first time. That's very exciting. Very, very exciting. So speaking of your last year being your first year, how did you feel that that went? Well, gosh, you know, obviously I didn't know. I'm so used to, you know, it was actually my first time, like I said there.

[00:04:09] And I also, it's a different audience for me as well. So it was, which was very, which was really interesting and actually has opened this audience to me, which has kind of

[00:04:20] been incredible and really just sort of like her world, it kind of opened her world to what so well, just a little different from what I'm used to within the Broadway community and

[00:04:31] what that is, right? So it was just, what was so fun about it, actually, I go way back to high school days. We go back to last year, the high school days. We go back until she's really been

[00:04:47] in my life for so many years. And so to be able to get to do that with her last year was just to be able to bring the connection that we have as friends and the long history that we

[00:04:59] have together was something that was so electrifying and so unique and really, really special. And you could just feel the love in the room from everyone, but it was just

[00:05:10] amazing to see my friend stand in her light and in her world and invite me in and to be next to her was just like the whole night was just so, it was one of those moments I'll never,

[00:05:24] ever forget. I think it went well. I'm back. You're back, baby. Are you approaching this year any different now that you've had that experience of your first time hosting this huge event? That's a great question. You know, I kind of thought about that. It was

[00:05:43] like, oh gosh, what do I want to do differently this year? Like how do I, and then I think I kind of stopped thinking about that because I was like, what was so great about last year was

[00:05:53] the spontaneous nature of it all and us being able to connect and just have fun and go off of the crowd. And so I thought, you know, Michael don't plan too much, just have fun. And that's

[00:06:04] where I'm going. I'm going with the fun of it all. I think because now I know what to expect and just in terms of, well, you can never know what to expect, I think with our Universe

[00:06:13] Fashion Show, just because everything is so, it's so different and epic every year. And now it's the 10th anniversary. So you just never know what fun surprises may happen, what will

[00:06:24] come about. So I think I'm just, I'm excited to just sort of like experience that, to kind of go on the ride with it. The only thing different that I will do is I will make sure I have eaten

[00:06:36] enough food to get me through because there was so much energy and adrenaline going on beforehand. And I was like, oh my gosh. And Ashley warned me. She said take and make sure you eat and you drink, right?

[00:06:51] Yes, eat, get your vitamins and all the things. So I'm ready as a host, you know, as a co-host to just be there and be in the moment. I really want to just focus on being in

[00:07:03] the moment. Absolutely. And now this year, besides being the 10th anniversary, it has this amazing theme of Mattel, which is super exciting. What are you personally most excited about with the theme of Mattel? Listen, I'm so excited because there's so many things about Mattel that

[00:07:23] I, you know, just the brand of Mattel and what it has to offer. I grew up with lots of the things that Mattel offers. I'm a kid of the nineties and there's so many, it's great.

[00:07:39] Obviously Mattel has been around for quite some time and what they have done is just see how they've evolved and expanded without giving too much away, without giving anything away. I'm just excited to kind of go back to my childhood and bring that to now.

[00:08:00] That's what I'm excited about. And I'm excited for people to feel that nostalgia of maybe their childhood and what that is and letting that inner child out and really being playful in nature within this world. I'm excited about that. I'm really excited about it.

[00:08:21] And there were things in Mattel, like the brand that I was like, oh my gosh, that's Mattel. Again, I'm trying to say it without saying it. But that's, yes. Yes. Yes. Overall, this is going to be an absolutely fantastic year and I wish you the best of

[00:08:42] luck with your second year hosting and thank you so much for talking with us today. Thank you, Jenna. Have a wonderful time. We can't wait to have you with us this year. Very excited for you. I'm like, I have my little faint girl shirt. I'm like so excited.

[00:08:57] You do, Robbie. You look so good and I love it. Get ready, girl. You'll have some fun. I'll have to visit you on Broadway, too. You're not far from me. Yes, I'm not far. Come, come.