TO BUSINESS Meet the judges

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE JUDGING PANEL FOR THIS YEAR’S BOUTIQUE STAR AWARDS

The Boutique Star Awards are an annual celebration of the industry’s best independent fashion and lifestyle retailers, industry insiders and brands. Since launching in 2019, the competition has attracted entries from some of the UK’s best indies and their suppliers.

The search is now on for the winners of this year’s awards, who will be determined by a panel of esteemed judges. Each has been carefully selected for their individual industry expertise and insider knowledge on what makes an outstanding indie retail and fashion wholesale business.

Retailers and brands can enter 17 different categories ranging from Fashion Independent of the Year and Social Media Strategy of the Year to British Brand of the Year. Entries are open online via boutique-magazine.co.uk and will close at the end of July.

Here’s who will be reading through the entries, deliberating the finalists and deciding on this year’s ultimate winners…

Jan Shutt, Sunday Best

Sunday Best CEO Jan Shutt is a retail veteran. Famously inspired by the Biba shop on Kensington High Street, she opened her store in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, in 1971 and has been at the helm ever since. Throughout her career, which spans 53 years, there have been countless highlights - from winning national awards and appearing on television to working with high profile designers and supermodels (including the first ever shoot for 15-year-old Agyness Deyn). Over the years Sunday Best has expanded and innovated, taking over neighbouring shop units and moving into e-commerce. Today it continues to be known industry wide as one of the very best multibrand boutiques in the business.

Andrew Goodacre has devoted his career to strengthening Britain’s high streets and the communities they support. Since taking over Bira’s leadership in 2018, he has expanded the association’s membership by nearly a third by ensuring the needs of indie retailers are heard by government decision makers. Andrew has appeared before numerous parliamentary select committees to present evidence on a range of high street concerns – from the impact of the pandemic to supply chain inflation. His representations were pivotal in paving the way for the 2019 Retail Rates Discount, which greatly reduced the tax burden on smaller retailers. Starting his career in hospitality, he was also formerly a member of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) before becoming the CEO of the Residential Landlords Association in 2013.

Diane Sykes, Diane Sykes Fashion

Diane Sykes has been in the fashion industry since the 1980s. At 19 years old she landed her dream job working in the London showroom of a global fashion designer. This position saw her experiencing all aspects of the industry - from retail operations and buying to merchandising and wholesale sales. Over the years, Diane’s career has taken her from London and the QE2 to New York and back again. In 2015 she launched her own multi brand agency: Diane Sykes Fashion. Specialising in premium European collections, she now proudly supplies discerning indie retailers across the UK and Ireland.

Sally Gott and Rachel Hunt, Sass and Edge

Gemma Ward, Boutique magazine

A journalist with almost 20 years’ experience, Gemma Ward is the founding editor of Boutique magazine. The title launched in 2010 as a niche publication dedicated to the needs of independent fashion retailers. Today it is celebrated for its insightful business articles and inspiring content created for small business owners. Gemma has judged a wide range of fashion and beauty industry awards throughout her career and regularly interviews some of the best fashion indies and brands in the business.

Friends and former colleagues

Sally Gott and Rachel Hunt opened award-winning womenswear independent Sass and Edge in 2017. Armed with many years’ experience in fashion retail, styling and management, they spotted a gap on their local high street for a fun, relaxed and stylish womenswear boutique. Today their Winchester-based store has built a loyal fan base and stocks highly sought-after labels such as Devotion Twins, Self-Portrait, Rails, Bash and Samsøe Samsøe. In 2022 it was named one of the best 50 boutiques in the UK by the Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine and won Best Use of Social Media in the Drapers Independent Awards 2021

The Boutique Star Awards 2023 are open to all fashion and lifestyle independents operating bricks-and-mortar businesses as well as brands and industry insiders. Entries are now open via boutique-magazine.co.uk/submit-an-entry and will close on Friday 28 July 2023. Tickets for the winners’ party will go on sale soon; contact E: j ulie@bpmedialtd.co.uk for more information.