BOERNE — As a child, Aaliyah Frye remembers being glued to the TV screen watching anime shows like Naruto, Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. The bold characters and imaginative worlds inspired her to create her own costumes and cosplay as the characters she admired. That early spark of creativity became the foundation for her path in fashion.
Now, Frye is preparing to compete in the Her Universe Fashion Show on July 24 in San Diego, her second time participating in the high-profile event. She was previously selected as a contestant in 2018.
Her Universe is an annual fashion show where designers submit original designs for a chance to win $2,000. Winners are chosen by a combination of audience and judges’ votes.
Each year, the show follows a theme. With Universal Studios sponsoring this year’s event, the theme focuses on Universal’s iconic franchises.
The fashion show is part of San Diego Comic-Con, one of the largest pop culture conventions in the world and an event Frye has always wanted to go to.
“San Diego Comic-Con has been a dream of mine,” Frye said. “I’ve always wanted to attend it.”
Frye has submitted her work to the Her Universe Fashion Show nearly every year. Though she hasn’t always been selected, she continues to design and sell anime-inspired fashion through her online store, SmallFryeDesigns.com.
Her store features clothing, accessories, stickers and more.
One of her most popular items is the “ita bag” — a style of bag with transparent pouches designed to display pins, badges and IDs. Frye customizes these bags with original characters inspired by her love of anime.
Frye describes her personal style as simplistic when it comes to clothing, paying more attention to expressing herself through bold hair colors, shoes and accessories.
“I do things with my hair. My shoe collection is more extensive than my actual clothes collection,” Frye said. “Then like hats, accessories, stuff like that.”
As she prepares to head to San Diego, Frye is finalizing the design she’ll present on stage. She finds inspiration in the music of artists like Missy Elliott, Michael Jackson and other R&B and rap icons — musicians she describes as both creative and chaotic in the best way.
Despite the challenges of balancing her work, caring for her cats and maintaining a social life, Frye says she’s proud of how much she’s accomplished.
“I’m still proud of the fact I’ve been able to get as much as I have done,” she said.
Frye shares her creative journey on Tik-Tok (@ SmallFrye23) and Instagram (@ Small_Frye_Designs).
A recording of the Her Universe Fashion Show will be posted on the Her Universe YouTube channel after the event.
