Meet the Junior Design Awards Judges 2021

Joining this year’s line-up is super talented fashion designer Tabitha Somerset Webb who is known for her stunning prints and beautifully cut separates under her label Tabitha Webb. Mother to Betsey and Primrose, @tabithawebbuk also has a bed linen collection with John Lewis, a wallpaper collaboration with Barneby Gates, has written a novel with a second one due out in July and also hosts her own podcast ‘No Regrets’. We’d really like to know what supplements she’s taking! Tabitha says: “I am so thrilled to be asked to be a judge for the Junior Design Awards! I am always looking for new and innovative product, and as a serial entrepreneur I am always so excited to see what people have created. Having been a designer for years, and knowing how tough it is, I am also a huge supporter of small start-up brands in what is a competitive industry. I can’t wait to get started!” Thank you so much Tabitha - we are so excited to have you on board.

We are delighted to announce that Chloe Thurston AKA @chloeuberkid is joining the #JDA panel this year! Chloe is a mother of 6, a stylist, blogger and our absolute favourite curator of beautiful mess! Chloe says: “I am so majorly excited to be a judge in the JDA’s 10th year! Junior was the first parenting magazine I ever bought and I have always looked forward to discovering all the incredible talent from award entries. I am so happy I will be actually seeing them all in real life this year!” We can’t wait!

News Flash! Sky News Anchor Sarah-Jane Mee is back on our #JDA judging panel and we couldn’t be more thrilled! @skysarahjane is a mother of two and is just coming to the end of her maternity leave. We were so impressed with her in-depth and incisive feedback from last year’s awards, we just had to ask her back! Sarah-Jane says: “I am delighted to be asked back as a judge for the Junior Design awards particularly in it’s special 10th year. I discovered some absolute gems last year thanks to Junior from small independent brands to some of the bigger names that are doing some really exciting things. These awards are a great guide for parents and I’ve recommended so many of the products and brands I discovered to friends and family. It really is a go-to list for parents.” Thank you Sarah-Jane - we’re looking forward to tea and brownies on judging day!

This year we welcome back mum of two, brilliant blogger and all round style aficionado @emmapaton__ to the #JDA panel. This is Emma’s third year judging for three very good reasons: She has an instinctive understanding of great quality and style, she is incredibly diligent with her reviews and she is brilliant company! Emma honed her eye for fashion and design as a buyer at Boden and while working for award winning kids store Olive Loves Alfie and now shares her fashion, interiors and styling ideas on her blog and Instagram - we never miss her Sunday Wishlist! Emma says: “This will be the 3rd year that I have been a JDA judge and it is always a highlight of my year! I always enjoy discovering new brands and revisiting some of my old favourites and seeing all the exciting new products they have come up with!” We can’t wait to see what you think of this year’s entries, Emma. Thank you for joining us once again!

We are delighted to welcome children’s fashion photographer, travel writer and photojournalist Abi Campbell, back onto the #JDA panel! @abicampbellphotography is a mother of 2 and is Fashion Editor at Family Traveller Magazine as well as Creative Director at New Kids Creative who specialise in brand consultancy and production for stills, video and PR. As an established children’s fashion photographer she works with some of the biggest and best brands in childrenswear as well as a selection of more niche and fledgling brands that really inspire her and that she can help unleash their potential. Abi says: “The Junior Design awards are extremely prestigious. Winning this accolade that carries such weight within the industry is a real badge of honour. To be asked to be a judge amongst such esteemed company is always a pleasure.” We can’t wait for you to cast your eye for stand-out talent over this year’s shortlisted JDA talent Abi! Thank you for joining us!

Who is this mysterious lady? Why, it’s celebrated Art Director and co-founder of creative agency @newkidscreative @traceyjacob1 !! We are thrilled to have Tracey back on our illustrious panel of #JDA judges and can’t wait to see which brands she makes a beeline for this year. Tracey’s editorials and campaigns are always so beautiful and her incredible client list, including the likes of Burberry, Simonetta and Vogue Bambini, is testament to her brilliant work. We are hugely excited to have a judge with such an instinct for quality and design on our team!

We are SO excited to welcome Catherine Buttigieg the mother and stylist behind the visual feast that is @meandmybutts onto the digital #JDA panel this year! Catherine lives in Melbourne Australia and has a background in fashion and design with a particular interest in weaving and textiles which is evident in her popular Instagram account that showcases the adventures of her 3 children dressed in the most eye tingling clothing combinations and accessories. Truly inspiring! Catherine’s photographs have featured in several publications including Vogue and we are thrilled to have her eye for stand out design and colour on our team.Catherine says: “I’m beyond excited to be asked to be a judge for this years awards.” Thank you so much for joining us!

We are so thrilled to welcome Alexandra Tolstoy to the #JDA panel this year! @alexandratolstoy is a mother of three, adventurer, author and TV presenter (what a CV!) and is also the founder of the beautifully curated @thetolstoyedit Anyone who follows Alexandra’s Instagram account will know that she sprinkles more than a touch of magic onto all her creative projects including her new home, which she has turned from blank rental to interiors gem within a matter of months. We cannot wait to see what catches her eye at the Junior Design Awards this Summer!

Lisa Stickley is an award winning designer, author and illustrator who started out life as a printed textile designer, training at Central Saint Martins and The Royal College of Art. Soon after graduation in 1999 - from her bedroom back home - she founded her label @lisastickleystudio and sold some of her very first products to Paul Smith, Designers Guild and the Cross. Her distinctive work led to collaborations worldwide with Burberry, Harrods, Liberty, Tate, Selfridges, and more recently she has created illustrations for a campaign to raise awareness of Child Food Poverty for Marcus Rashford + Aldi UK. Her latest picture books include Bernard Makes A Splash! (Tate Publishing, 2019) and The Wobbly Waitress (Tate Publishing 2018) are firm Junior favourites!

We are so thrilled to welcome Charlotte Jolly, the Beauty Director of Hello and Hello Fashion magazines back onto the #JDA judging panel! @mscharliejolly blew us away with her incisive comments and professional approach to the judging process last year and we just had to ask her back. Charlie has incredible depth of knowledge in her field and gets the inside track on children’s toiletries from her two gorgeous daughters, Olive, 5 and Sybil, 12mths, Charlie says: “Thank you for having me back. I know how much these awards are coveted by brands so I take judging them very seriously. The standard was incredibly high last year. The toiletries and pampering categories in particular were dominated by some very cool, conscious products for little people. Bring on this year’s entries!” Hooray!

Next up on the #JDA panel is brilliant journalist and author @zoeygotowriter Zoey has spent the last ten years as a freelance writer covering design, fashion, sustainability and family travel, contributing to titles including The Independent, Lonely Planet and Junior! She loves nothing more than to pack up her 2 kids and take them on adventures, which have included African safaris, visiting the original Legoland in Denmark, road-tripping across America and finding the UK's most family-friendly treehouse sleepover. She is also the author of two books on Elvis Presley and vintage style, with a third book about the fantastic Dolly Parton on the way! On joining the JDA judges, Zoey says: “Junior magazine has such a great heritage, it's like a British institution! I'm super pleased to be on the judging panel as I follow the awards closely each year and am looking forward to getting hands-on with the products.” We’re thrilled to have you Zoey!

We are hugely excited to welcome talented Telegraph Group Beauty Director @soniaharia back into the #JDA judges fold. Sonia has an incredible overview of products and product innovation as well as being a mother of two young boys and knows exactly what products work during pregnancy and beyond. Sonia is a huge advocate for the beauty industry, campaigning on behalf of Salons and beauty professionals over lock-down and is a Sonia says: 'I'm really excited to be joining Junior as a judge for the second time this year. I had such fun discovering so many fantastic new products the last time around!' We can’t wait to hear her take on this year’s entries!

Yes! Yvadney Davis is back! We could not be more thrilled to have such a hugely talented children’s stylist and artist on our panel of #JDA judges! @yvadney brings with her a wealth of experience, working with incredible brands and publications including Boden and The Observer Magazine and always hones in on new, stand-out talent. As well as styling, Yvadney runs the life affirming @mumsthatslay account and paints stunning, colour infused portraits. Yvadney says: “Junior has such a rich legacy as the destination for all things children, so it's an honour to be back again to judge this year's awards. It's always such a challenge as the calibre of entries is always so high but that makes it all the more fun for me seeing so much innovation and great design.” Welcome back Yvadney - we can’t wait to see you on the judging days!

We are delighted to welcome Jonathan Kirkby, founder of award winning communications agency @instinctpr onto the #JDA judging panel! @jonathankirkby works with major brands in the parenting arena but is now on a personal parenting fast-track, having become a father to baby Wilder, six months ago! Congratulations! We are glued to his baby spam and can’t wait to get his take on all the brilliant brands entered into the Junior Design Awards this year. Jonathan says: “I’m a huge fan of Junior magazine and honoured to be part of the judging process. I’ve spent the last year researching and now buying so much for my new son. It’s a crowded market however when brands get it right they stand out. I can’t wait to get stuck in and start revieing the applications and road testing the products.”

We are over the moon that @allmumstalk founder and mother of 3, Aly Boghici will be helping us decide which brands will receive a coveted Junior Design Award in 2021. Aly has children ranging in age from 1 -7 so she has a great overview of parents’ and childrens’ needs! Her honest and refreshing approach to parenting an innate sense of style and her take on what is stylish and useful will be much valued during the judging process. Aly says: “I’m constantly trying to support small businesses, especially green ones who are trying to make a difference and Junior is all about that!"

This year we are extremely proud to welcome highly respected kid’s fashion photographer Leonie Freeman onto our #JDA judging panel! Art Director @leoniefreemanphoto is a mother of two and ventured into the world of children’s photography after the birth of her son, now 8 and has never looked back. Regularly working with brands like The Middle Daughter, Boden and Fish + Kids, she thrives on the creative freedom she gets from her job. Leonie says of the awards: “I am really honoured to have been asked to be a judge for the Junior Design Awards! Junior Magazine has had such a huge impact on the kids fashion industry, setting the standard for cool kids fashion. I’m looking forward to seeing all the new creative talent!” Thank you for joining us Leonie!

Whoop! Welcome to the #JDA panel @joljones We are so happy to have you on board! Industry acclaimed PR and brand consultant Jo is a mum of two, with another baby on the way (congratulations!) and brings her eye for excellence and knowledge of brand building and nurturing to our judging team! Jo is also the co-founder of @thebeautybanks who are doing vital work to tackle hygiene poverty in the UK. Jo says: “It’s such a thrill to be a judge at this year’s JDA’s and to help parents (new and not so new - both me!) navigate their way through the crowded marketplace of children’s brands, products and fashion - taking all the guess-work and confusion away and helping them choose the best of the best with the JDA seal of approval.” Thank you for joining us Jo - we can’t wait for the judging days! #juniordesignawards #meetthejudges

We are so excited to tell you that designer Alissa Bertrand is returning to the #JDA panel as one of our specially selected digital judges. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Alissa runs the incredibly inspiring @jabellafleur account, which showcases her beautiful creations made from thrifted fabrics and modelled by her 3 daughters Jada, Jayla and Ella in compelling fashion shoots. Since joining us last year, Alissa has been featured in Vogue and has designed, styled and photographed even more joyful, stunning pieces! We can’t wait for her to cast her creative eye over this year’s JDA entries. Thank you for joining us again Alissa!

Please give baby and kids’ stylist Charlotte Kewley a warm welcome to the JDA panel! Charlotte is mum to three incredibly well-dressed children (as you would expect!), including her youngest addition who is just 3 months old! Charlotte has over 20 years experience in the fashion industry and we are so thrilled that she is lending us her expert eye for this year’s Junior Design Awards. As well as being a highly sought after stylist, Charlotte is also the founder of @thelittlestylist where she shares all her favourite children’s clothing and interiors finds as well as a peek at her own children’s nurseries and outfits. Charlotte says: ‘I’m super honoured and excited to be a judge for the 10th Junior Design Awards. I can’t wait to hopefully be introduced to even more fresh new, unique brands & products.’ We can’t wait to see you Charlotte and fingers crossed baba comes too!

One of our favourite faces is back on the #JDA panel! Sergei Urban AKA @thedadlab will once again be casting his expert eye across our games, gadgets and gizmos. Sergei is dad to Max and Alex and inspires his kids and millions more with his exciting experiments and educational activities! Actually, he recently hit one billion views on his YouTube channel!! Congratulations Sergei and thank you for joining us again! #juniordesignawards #meetthejudges

Who are these two cuties? They are none other than the incredible duo behind super inspiring Instagram account @pepper.pics ! Most of you will recognise 11 year old Pepper but her mum @bonnievangeel is usually behind the scenes art directing, styling and shooting all the stunning imagery for @pepper.pics and their exciting brand collaborations. Based in The Netherlands, Pepper and Bonnie join us for the second year running, as digital judges and we couldn’t be more excited to find out what they make of the JDA entries this year. Thank you so much for joining us!