Meet the Junior Design Awards Judges 2020

We have one of the most exciting, diverse and compelling line-ups of Junior Design Awards judges EVER this year and we can’t wait for you to meet all the members of this talented, inspiring panel. Each judge brings with them their own unique insight, knowledge and expertise within the lifestyle, fashion and parenting industry and helps make our celebrated awards the best in the business and play a crucial role in deciding who wins what for #JDA20. In no particular order please say A BIG HELLO to...

Name: Alex Stedman AKA @alexandra.stedman @thefrugality

Vital Stats:

• Alex has an illustrious background working on magazines including Red, Eve and Conde Nast Traveller.
• Alex founded The Frugality - a fashion, interior and lifestyle platform with a focus on shopping wisely, which has amassed over 250K loyal followers.
• Alex has an eye for great design and strives to find useful, value for money products whilst caring about a brand's impact on the environment.
• Lives in North London with her husband, 2 year old daughter Peggy and has another baby due later this year. Congratulations Alex!

The Junior Awards are the most prestigious awards in the Children's category and it's an honour to be part of the judging panel that helps support new, independent and established brands.

Name: Jools Oliver AKA @joolsoliver

Vital Stats:

• Jools has had huge success as a model, designer and author and is of course, wife of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. Jools has her own cult following on Instagram with over half a million followers who love her honest approach to parenting and her stunning interiors and fashion sense.
• Jools founded the much-loved and (much-missed) Little Bird by Jools fashion collection with Mothercare. The bright, fun and retro inspired range was an instant success when it launched in 2012.
• She has written a biography book Minus Nine to One: The Diary of an Honest Mum where she talks about her fertility issues, PCOS and her IVF journey. She has also written The Adventures of Dotty and Bluebell, a children's book illustrated by Junior favourite Claire Fletcher.
• Jools and Jamie live in London and Essex with their five children: daughters Poppy, 18, Daisy, 17 and Petal, 11 and sons Buddy, 10 and River, four.

I'm very honoured to be a judge for this years Junior Design Awards - as a previous winner myself I know how important they are for a brand.

Name: Tracey Jacob AKA @traceyjacob1

Vital Stats:

• Tracey has been a stylist and art director in the kids fashion sector for over 25 years.
• She has worked with many of the top children’s brands and magazines during her career including Junior, Family Traveller, Milk and more
• Tracey says she follows adult fashion trends very closely and her work is often inspired by what she sees – and is then translated into her own unique children styling.
• Tracey is meticulous in her work and tries to deliver fashion forward imagery that will inspire. (She succeeds on every level!)
• She splits her time between London and Cape where she regularly shoots many of the UK’s top high street fashion brands campaigns.

One of my first children’s editorials was in the very first issue of Junior Magazine around 1997 so it feels very exciting to now be part of the Junior Design Awards judging team again all these years later.

Name: Charlotte Jolly AKA @mscharliejolly

Vital Stats:

• Charlotte is Beauty Director at both Hello! and Hello! Fashion magazines - which mostly involves reviewing products, writing features, directing shoots and interviewing celebrities.
• She has been working as a beauty and health journalist for over ten years and has previously contributed to magazines such as Stylist, Elle and Women’s Health.
• She discovered a special interest in children’s toiletries whilst pregnant with her first baby - which was also around the time Kate Middleton had Princess Charlotte, so writing baby-focused features for Hello! magazine was a regular occurrence. With the arrival of each royal baby, her remit has continued to expand into child-friendly products, parent pampering, family wellbeing and travel.
• Since having her girls, she has become a bit obsessed with children’s books and interiors, too (sounds familiar!)
• Charlotte lives in Hertfordshire with her husband Nick and daughters Olive, 4, and Sybil, 6 months.

I’m so excited to be a judge! When it comes to parenting, Junior is such a respected authority - with a very cool aesthetic. Bring on this year’s entries!

Name: Georgia Jones AKA @thegeorgiaedit

Vital Stats:

• Georgia is a Yorkshire born, London based model and lifestyle influencer.
• She created and presents a YouTube series called 'Bump' where she has an honest and open chat about parenthood. The first two series have been extremely successful with brands such as Ladybird sponsoring the show.
• Georgia is married to Mcfly frontman and The Voice Kids Coach Danny Jones. They live in London with their son Cooper, two.

I’m super excited to be part of this years Juinor Design Awards judging panel. Now more than ever big, small, new & old brands need our support and hopefully these fabulous awards will showcase a few of those industry leaders! Good luck to all involved.

Name: Bonnie van Geel AKA @pepper.pic

Vital Stats:

• Studied Graphic Design for the fashion industry and was a graphic designer for several agencies. When her daughter Pepper, now 10 was born she decided to work from home as a graphic designer/ stylist/ photographer.
• When Pepper was born a whole new world opened to her - the world of children’s fashion! Bonnie started blogging and taking pictures of a 4-year old Pepper and it all started from there
• Through her Instagram feed @pepper.pic she has developed her styling and photography skills and pepper now works as a model for many fashion brands.
• Bonnie lives in Valkenswaard, a small city in the south of The Netherlands with Pepper and their Beagle, Bubble. Its a full on ladies house!

Such an honor being asked to judge for the Junior Design Awards - Pepper and I can't wait to see all the entries!

Name: Sarah-Jane Mee AKA @skysarahjane

Vital Stats:

• Sarah-Jane Mee is a Television and radio broadcaster. She is currently on maternity leave from SKY News where she has covered many significant breaking news stories.
• Before joining Sky she worked at ITV Central News and Heart FM and is a regular guest newsreader on the Chris Evans Breakfast show on Virgin Radio.
• She also anchors The Sarah-Jane Mee Show, weekdays on Sky News
• She lives in South London with her fiancé Ben Richardson and their children Teddy, 6 and daughter Rae, who arrived in June 2020.

Name: Alissa Bertrand AKA @jabellafleur

Vital Stats:

• Alissa attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and is now a creative designer, stylist and founder of @jabellafleur
• Alissa is a sustainable childrenswear designer, repurposing vintage garments and textiles into stunning new pieces for girls under #jabellafleurgirls Her styling and photography featuring her daughters wearing her clothing is absolutely beautiful!
• She designs and creates daily and is fond of mixing and clashing patterns and prints.
• Alissa lives in Atlanta, Georgia USA with her 3 daughters: twins Jayla and Jada, 10 and Ella, seven.

To be considered and regarded in this way is a great accomplishment! Junior is definitely one to look up to and it's a true honor to be a part of this judging panel!

Name: Adam Garcia AKA @thatadamgarcia

Vital Stats:

• Adam is an actor, dancer and singer and begin his career on the West End, starring in the original London casts of Saturday Night Fever, Wicked and Hot Shoe Shuffle, amongst many other musicals and plays.
• He is equally well known for his lead role in films such as Coyote Ugly and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.
• More recently, Adam appeared as a judge on Got to Dance and Australia’s Dancing With the Stars.
• He lives in West London with his wife Nathalia and 2 girls Arya and Liberty - 5 and 2.5 years old.

Judging for the Junior Design Awards is hugely exciting. Seeing the stamp of approval has always meant I felt confident I’d found a product that was going to be innovative, useful, groundbreaking or best in class - and usually pretty cute. I love discovering great additions to our family routine or pieces for special occasions, and Junior award-winning items have proven the most solid choices over the years. I can’t wait to gather the outstanding products together and celebrate the amazing brands behind them.

Name: George Reddings AKA @george_ggredd

Vital Stats:

• With over 25 years Design experience in the childrenswear industry in New York and London, George is an Award winning designer turned Brand Design Consultant and Creative Collaborator.
• From clothing and accessories to nursery and travel products she has worked on high street concepts to launching niche independent brands. George's expertise is second to none.
• George has worked with high street heavy weights such as Gap and Mothercare and is known for her hugely successful collaborations with Jools Oliver on Little Bird by Jools and Jess Ware on Anyware Kids.
• George lives in Hertfordshire with her 2 sons, Finley, 15 and Sam, 12.

I’m so honoured to be asked and excited to be a judge in the Junior Design awards, they really are the gold standard in the childrenswear industry and the ultimate accolade for any designer/brand. I have followed Junior Magazine my entire career and as a young designer in NY in the mid 90’s, it was always my ambition to win a Junior Design Award, of which I have been lucky enough to do so over the years. I am thrilled to be on the other side of the table this time.

Name: Gemma Metcalfe-Beckers AKA @mutha.hood

Vital Stats:

• Gemma is the founder of the MuthaHood and the original Strong Girls Club, has run her own empowering womenswear and kidswear brand for five years.
• Her unique clothing range inspires women and girls to know their worth and her 120K+ following continues to grow
• Before having her two girls and setting up her own brand she worked in Womenswear Buying and TV production.
• Gemma lives in London with her two girls Little Red, 5 and Big Red, 8

I've always been an eagle-eyed JDA Sticker-Spotter and always see it as a mark of great things. Being a judge is one of the most wonderful things I get to do as it feels like a real treat to get an insight into what great new finds have been discovered by the JDA. The brands who feature are always so incredibly inspiring and I can't wait to see the JDA entries for 20/21!

Name: Emma Paton AKA @emmapaton__

Vital Stats:

• Emma is a former Boden Fashion Buyer turned Fashion & Lifestyle Blogger and founder of Emma Paton Blog (previously Finley Fox)
• Emma champions a mix of high street, boutique, ethical vintage, small and independent brands on her blog and to her loyal 28K + followers on instagram.
• Emma says she started her blog as a place to focus on unique and unisex childrenswear and has had experience working with kid's indie brand Olive Loves Alfie.
• Emma lives in Suffolk with her husband and two children Finn, 7 and Violet, 4.

I am over the moon that Junior have asked me to take part in JDA again this year. I had so much fun last year seeing all the products and talent from so many fabulous brands. This year more than ever small brands need our support so I am happy to be back on board! Junior is highly regarded in my books as the best destination for children’s fashion and lifestyle inspo.

Name: Yvadney Davis AKA @yvadney

Vital Stats:

• Yvadney created her first fashion portfolio by the age of seven. Camberwell School of Arts was followed by a degree in Fashion at Central Saint Martins and a career in PR, moving into adult fashion styling, writing and consulting.
• Motherhood introduced her to the uber cool world of kids fashion where her natural rapport and eclectic style help to create stunning and compelling stories. She is now a much sought-after kids and teens art director and stylist.
• Her inspiration is as eclectic as her style and includes artists, film, historical costume and street culture.
• Her clients include Boden, Next, Hackett, Mini Noor, Born at Dawn, Le Mu and Startrite. Her editorials appear in Hooligans, Luna Forever Young, Junior Style and ET magazine.
• Yvadney lives in London with her husband and two children: MG, 7 and Lolo, 4

I’m honoured to be back for the third year running as a Judge for the Junior Design Awards. Over the years, I have been blown away by the vast selection of innovation, style and charm, so I am really looking forward to seeing what the 2020 brings!

Name: Reena Simon AKA @hygge_for_home

Vital Stats:

• Reena is an award winning lifestyle blogger and Instagram queen of cosy over at Hygge for Home
• With over 220K followers awaiting her every square, her account is dedicated to cosy family interiors and travel and her eye for design is second to none.
• We’d quite like to move in to her current renovation project – a sixties bungalow with hygge, sorry, huge potential.
• Reena is also a contributor and writer @granddesignstv
• Reena lives in Cardiff with her husband and 3 daughters: Isla 8, Edie, 5 and Poppy, 4

I'm honoured to have been asked to be a judge for this year’s Junior Design awards again. When it comes to buying anything for my little ladies or us as a family, as well as all of the practical and functional aspects, the aesthetics are really important so I will definitely be looking at the whole picture and keeping my eye out for brands that have paid extra attention to detail. I am really excited about the interiors category and think that Junior have done a brilliant job at choosing a real mix of independent and larger retail brands.

Name: Carolyn Asome AKA @carolynasome

Vital Stats:

• Carolyn started her journalist career at The Times where she worked for over 14 years.
• She is now is an esteemed style and interiors writer with a focus on Design and Architecture for newspapers including The Times, The Sunday Times Style magazine, the Telegraph and Vogue.
• Is Editor-at-large of Matches Fashion and a Brand consultant for the likes of Caramel
• She is also the author of Vogue On: Jean Paul Gaultier and Vogue's Essentials: Handbags.
• She lives in London with her husband, two daughters Decca and Ilse and son Udo.

As a design lover - I'm honoured to be a judge for this years Junior Design Awards and can't wait to see all the entries!

Name: Abi Campbell AKA @abicampbellphotography

Vital Stats:

• Abi is a highly respected children’s fashion photographer, family travel writer and photojournalist.
• She started modelling internationally at the age of 16, leaving home to live and work in Asia.
• Abi then became an actress in my mid 20’s, starring in Stanley Kubricks’ Eyes Wide Shut alongside Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
• After living in India and training in Yoga Abi became a yoga teacher in her 30’s.
• She describes her career background as somewhat convoluted but we’d use the word fascinating! She became a portrait photographer after having her two children, which led to commercial and editorial photography.
• Abi is also the contributing editor at Family Travel magazine and travels extensively with and without her children.
• Abi lives in London with her two children Ellis and Jemima.

Junior magazine was the first dedicated childrens publication in the UK that I was aware of, even before I had children of my own (!) and I feel extremely honoured to have been asked to Judge again at this year's Junior Design Awards. I'm hoping my contribution as a judge will be my extensive knowledge in childrens’ fashion brands, styling and commercial and editorial kids fashion. I follow childrens’ fashion trends closely and attend some of the big kids fashion trade fairs as well as photographing some of Europe’s biggest brands backstage shows.

Name: Sergei Urban AKA @thedadlab

Vital Stats:

• Sergei runs The Dad Lab website and social accounts where he inspires parents around the world with his brilliantly creative ideas.
• He began sharing kids’ science experiments and educational activities that he enjoyed with his own children online 3.5 years ago and pretty soon became an online sensation with over 3.5 million fans across all social media platforms.
• Prior to this he used to work in food export and website development.
• He claims he is not a teacher or a scientist but, we think he is doing pretty well on both counts!
• Sergei is originally from Latvia and now lives in London with his wife and two boys: Max, 6 and Alex, 8

This will be my third year as a Junior Design Awards judge and I cannot wait to do it again! I am very excited to discover new products and brands and take my judging seriously. I inspect every item - especially the pushchairs, cots and highchairs.

AND, THEN OF COURSE THERE’S TEAM JUNIOR…

Name: Bonita Turner, Editor of Junior AKA @juniormagazineonline

Vital Stats:

• After studying at The Surrey Insitute (then the Epsom School of Art) Fashion Promotion & Journalism Bonita started her fashion career at Woman magazine and then as Fashion Editor at Now. With over 23 years experience in editorial Bonita went freelance in 2012 after the arrival of her daughter.
• Needing something to fill the work void Bonita launched her blog mamasvib in 2013 as an outlet for her constant shopping ideas and went on to carve a freelance career working on various parenting titles, customer titles and project managing in-store seasonal catalogues.
• In February 2017, Bonita joined Immediate Media as Editor of Junior – the much-loved luxury children’s title.
• In her first year she oversaw last year’s Junior Design Awards to brilliant success, helping to raise the Junior social profile and also, scooped a Best Newcomer gong at the Immediate Media Awards in December 2017.
• Bonita lives in Surrey with her husband Joe, her 6 year old daughter Marnie and her cat Pepper

Each year I'm overwhelmed by the continued support, encouragement and general love for Junior and that is what pushes me to ensure each awards year is better than the last. This year more than ever! I'm excited to be judging alongside a esteemed panel of like-minded people who take their roles as seriously as I do.

Name: Eleonore Crompton, Contributing Editor at Junior AKA @eleonore_crompton

Vital Stats:

• Eleonore (or Ellie) is the former the Style Director of Heat magazine (The Beckhamese era), a freelance stylist, writer and brand consultant.
• She is Contributing Editor here at Junior magazine and regularly contributes to City Kids Magazine, The Independent and Fit & Well magazine
• Ellie is also the founder of her own blog The Mumday Times and you will currently find her weeping over all the sanding and painting she has to get through on her house renovation that has take around 9 months too long.
• Ellie lives in London with her husband and 3 children.

I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of the prestigious JDA’s and can’t wait to discover exciting new brands, support small businesses and celebrate the movers and shakers in kids design.