Kristy has been invited to give a presentation on the topic of "Women's Star Wars Fashion" at the upcoming official Star Wars Celebration convention in Orlando in April. This is a great opportunity for her to promote and raise the visibility of a specific hobby that she is passionate about and that appeals and caters directly to female Star Wars fans.

The costs of the trip include international travel from New Zealand, and a need for accommodation adjacent to the convention center. Because the invitation has come up at relatively short notice, she needs help to fund this opportunity.

Kristy is the founder of The Kessel Runway ( www.TheKesselRunway.com ), a website dedicated to promoting and reviewing women’s Star Wars apparel and fashion accessories. She has been writing full-time, online, on the topic of women’s Star Wars fashion and its importance to female fans, for several years, and embraces the philosophy that Star Wars fashion is important to allow self-expression and passion for all things Star Wars.

The content of Kristy's panel will be made available online after the convention, so that contributors and fans can access it even if they can't make it to Orlando for the convention and live presentation. As a general principle, all of Kristy's The Kessel Runway content is - and will always be - free for all fans to access.

Kristy's Panel Description: Women’s Star Wars fashion has been around since 1977, but has grown significantly as geek culture has become mainstream and female Star Wars fans have become more visible and active in demonstrating their passion for the fandom. This panel takes a look at all aspects of women’s Star Wars fashion (both collecting and wearing), highlights from the range of commercial products and designer Star Wars garments on the runway, as well as examining the concept of Star Wars clothing as both self-expression and a collecting focus.