The ISU Fashion Show has selected their four judges that will evaluate the pieces that will make their way down the catwalk during this year’s show. The four judges are field professionals that work in all areas of the fashion industry.

The members of the ISU Fashion Show delegated with the task of selecting the guest judges are the Design Directors. This year they are Grace Rosson, Samantha Shirazi and Shae Smith. They select the judges based on their different skill sets and their willingness to work Iowa State students and staff. 

“This year we are honored to have four incredibly distinguished professionals serve as judges,” Rosson said. “When we are selecting judges we look for experts in the respective field that have diverse backgrounds and interest in engaging with our students and state-of-art facilities. This year we are lucky to have three Iowa State Alum on the judging panel.”

Each judge brings a vast array of experiences to the table to create a team able to come together to form a well-rounded perspective when forming an opinion on each garment that will be selected to be in the show.

Here are the four judges: 

Tyler Valladolid

Tyler Valladolid is an Iowa State Alumni who graduated in 2008 with a degree in apparel, merchandising, design and production. Tyler has worked in the field as merchant for Lands’ End and Fossil. He is now the Senior Merchant at Abercrombie & Fitch where he oversees merchandising for the seasonal categories of outerwear, swim, and sleep as well as personal care, underwear and footwear.

Valladolid said he was excited when the Fashion Show reached out and after having gone through the program himself, and said it’s exciting to see what the Fashion Show has now become. He also said that his vast knowledge of apparel and accessories within retail brands is what positioned him to be a good pick for a judge.

“I think I have a pretty well-rounded view of different kinds of areas of the industry, so that can really help give a viewpoint outside of the design point of view,” Valladolid said.

Emily Kammeyer Sumner

Emily Kammeyer Sumner is an Iowa State Alumni that graduated in 2007 with a degree in apparel, merchandising design and production and with a double primary in creative design and merchandising. She began in the field as a Senior Technical Designer at Aeropostale and is now the Director of Technical Design at Universal Standard.

Kammeyer Sumner also owns her own accessory line produced and designed in New York City called E.Kammeyer Accessories. E.Kammeyer Accessories is “a line of handmade accessories for the downtown girl who loves a little vintage edge.” Kammeyer Sumner also runs the accessory line’s blog, AccessoriesGal.com, a site that produces inspirational fashion, travel, and lifestyle content.

Sumner said she feels very humbled and honored to be selected as a judge. She has stayed close her advisor, Ann Thye over the last 10 years since she graduated, and is excited to be back on campus after such a long time to be able to reconnect with the current students and faculty. 

“One of those things that you remember being a senior and working on your senior collection, the guest judge that had been there and it’ll be a lot of fun to be that person,” Sumner said. “I’m hoping to go and see the sewing labs where I spent most of my senior year living in for the most part, eating pop-tarts and drinking iced tea is pretty much what I survived on my senior year.”

Tameka Ellington

Dr. Tameka Ellington, an assistant professor at Kent State University, received her B.A. in fashion design at Kent State University, her M.A. in apparel and textile design from Michigan State University and her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Kent State University. Her work on fables and African cultures is recognized and has been exhibited internationally. She received one of the highest honors in her field, the International Textile and Apparel Association Rising Star Award in November of 2017 for a number of her works. 

Ellington feels fortunate to the group that invited her to come back this year, as she was not able to attend last year due to the loss of a friends. She said she expects to see a high level of quality coming from the Iowa State staff and students led under Dr. Eulanda Sanders. Her expertise in design and her ability to look at new garments with appreciation, as well as, with a knowledge of the past, is what she believes got her into this position as a judge. 

“I have been designing for many years. I have received awards for my design work and I am still young in my approach so I am willing to look at new innovations with appreciation instead of being stuck in the past,” Ellington said. 

Emily Erusha-Hilleque

Emily Erusha-Hilleque graduated from Iowa State in 2000 from the Ivy College of Business. She has worked a the Target Corporation since graduating. She began there as an Inventory Analyst and has worked her way up to buyer, planner, and the Director of Merchandising in the accessories department. In 2013, she made the switch from merchandising to design and is currently the Design Director for ready-to-wear.

The judges will be arriving in Ames in the evening on Thursday, March 22. On Friday, they will wake up to a full day of activities. They will get a tour of the campus, give presentations to classes in their areas of expertise, judge the mounted garments, illustrations and accessories, and end the day will the annual ‘Meet the Judges Event’ at the Alumni Center Ballroom from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday is judging day where they will examine over 200 garments that were entered into the show, narrowing it down to 100 pieces. This lasts until about 6 p.m.