Ashley Eckstein is one of four powerhouse women in Disney fashion who will be debuting a new collection at D23 Expo, and on shopDisney.com, and the Disney Parks Blog share a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at Ashley’s new Guided by the Light Collection.
For all those “Force sensitive” beings out there, this next collection is for you! Some of the hats that Ashley Eckstein wears are actress, entrepreneur, designer, and author –but you may know her best as the originating voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars or founder and owner of fashion and lifestyle brand Her Universe. We were delighted to work with Ashley again on her collaboration with Disney, titled, “Guided by the Light” which is debuting at this year’s D23 Expo.
What inspired you to create this collection?
When Disney reached out and asked me to create a Star Wars fashion collection influenced by Ahsoka Tano, I knew that this collection needed to inspire the wearer, just like Ahsoka inspires the fans. In so many ways, Ahsoka represents light –she inspires us to never give up hope, no matter how dark things seem. A lot has happened in our world since the last D23 Expo, and I like to refer to these wearable pieces of hope and reminders to be “Guided by the Light.” I worked with my good friend, Bret Iwan (the official voice of Mickey Mouse), on this collection and all the pieces have reflective accents or symbols of light. It’s my wish that all fans will feel Ahsoka’s strength and hope when they wear or carry this collection.What’s your favorite Disney memory?
Disney magic is just like the Force. It’s an energy that surrounds us and binds us, and I like to call Disney my love language. Growing up in Orlando, FL and having my dad as a Walt Disney World Resort cast member, I have too many Disney memories to choose just one! I grew up with Disney, and most of my fondest memories have to do with Disney. However, my favorite Disney moments are when I can create Disney magic for someone else, and that’s what I’m most excited about with this collection. It’s my hope that each and every fan who wears or carries something from my Guided by the Light collection will know and feel that the Force is strong with them. I want each fan to feel special, because they are special.What does being “Guided by the Light” mean?
The moment that inspired this collection is the scene at the end of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” where Rey reaches out to the past Jedi and they come to her with guidance. Ahsoka Tano is one of those Jedi, and it was one of the greatest honors of my life to have voiced Ahsoka for this scene. One of the lines that really stuck out to me in that scene was, “in the night, find the light.” I want fans to be inspired by this line as Rey was, and as I was. There’s so much significance with the reflective elements in this collection. At first glance, you might not even notice it’s there, but when you add a flash of light to each piece, the reflective elements light up and shine bright. This is meant to be a reminder that during dark times, we might not always see it, but there is always light.
Ashley’s collection will be live on September 9th, 2022 at both D23 Expo 2022, and shopDisney.com. Take the link below to find out more about the other powerhouse women in Disney fashion.
