Fashion judging panel 2012
Our professional judges are from a number of fashion related disciplines and high profile industries including Presidents of Design Councils, Member of Parliament, university head of fashion, CEO and retail stores director, international fashion designer and buyer, visual merchandising and brand director, international web and branding consultancy and more…
Our judges include Jake Leith – Head of Fashion Brighton University and President of Society of Chartered Designers; Brighton & Hove Mike Weatherley MP – representing Hove & Portslade; Claire Arksey – Director Superdry; Eve Reid – Director Metamorphosis; Martin Mason – CEO of Lulu Guinness; Sarah Arnett – International Designer of Modern Love; Kate Hills – Director of Make it British; Alastair Reid – Managing Director of International brand agency Red Design.
Judges 2012
Jake Leith
Jake Leith is currently President of the Chartered Society of Designers and Head of Business & Professional Practice for Fashion & Textiles ( and Design & Craft) at the University of Brighton. Past Chair of the CSD Fashion & Textiles Group. Jake and has over 20 years’ experience of successfully running his own design practice and 12 years as a teacher-practitioner.
Listen to Jake Leith talking about his role as a Trustee, The Fashion Trust, fashion in Brighton & Hove and across Sussex, London Graduate Week and judging The Sussex Fashion Awards > Listen to > Jake Leith
Mike Weatherley
Mike Weatherley is the Member of Parliament for Hove and Portslade and a huge supporter of the creative industries. Before Parliament Mike worked in the Music and Film Industries. Since his election, he has become a champion of Intellectual Property Rights for creative works and additionally paid particular attention to the promotion of local talent. Mike chairs at Parliament the new APPG for retail and business crime.
He has joined the panel of judges in order to champion the work of those involved in the fashion industry in Sussex.
Listen to Mike Weatherley MP representing Hove & Portslade talk about his roles in Parliament, music & film industry, Rock The House music competition, judge of The Sussex Fashion Awards and Intellectual Property > Listen to > Mike Weatherley
Eve Reid
Eve Reid oversees the vision and direction for the Metamorphosis Group, working with leading International and National brands in the past and currently with a number of independent retail businesses across Sussex. Eve is a merchandising expert, specialising in Brand Evolution, Concept Design, and Visual Merchandising.
Martin Mason
Martin Mason, CEO & Managing Director Lulu Guinness.
Martin joined Lulu Guinness in February 2009 after positions at Mulberry, Pringle of Scotland and John Smedley, well known British heritage brands. He has since gained experienced in licensing products and currently working heavily with Japan and Korea on behalf of Lulu Guinness and with Indian and South American development clearly in his sights. Martin joins us as judge for 2012.
Alastair Reid
Alastair Reid has been Managing Director of Red Design for the last 5 years. Established in 1996, Red produces high quality, still, moving and interactive design, art direction and branding. Alastair is passionate about using creativity as a tool to connect innovative and interesting organisations and brands to their goals. During his time at Red, Alastair has worked with organisations diverse as Bottletop, Universal Music, Playstation, The Barbican, Fondation Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Apple, Disney, The Élysée Palace, MTV, and Sussex based UNION.
Sarah Arnett
Graduating from Brighton University, Sarah has over the last ten years built a strong distinctive and beautiful international print company including fashion garments and accessories. The current range ‘Modern Love’ features at Liberty of London and sold through global outlets.
Kate Hills
On leaving Middlesex University, where she received a first class degree in fashion, Kate Hills launched her own clothing brand, one of the first ethical clothing companies in the UK. When the business folded, due to what she says was ‘a bit of naivety and a lot of ‘ad luck’, she went to work as a designer for numerous big name companies, including Burberry and Marks & Spencer. Finding that she was better with the numbers than the sketches, she moved into buying and spent ten years travelling the world developing products for the High Street. Becoming disillusioned with fast fashion and low quality, she packed it all in to set up Make it British, a website which champions British manufacturing and supports designers that want to make their products in the UK.
