NHV Hat Contest 2023

Theme: 'Foldable Follies'

Welcome to the 18th edition of the International NHV Hat Competition "Foldable Follies"!  For the 2023 competition we have chosen a different-than-usual theme:

Each year the Competition Committee receives the entries and it is noticeable that, while the participants know how to make their hats the right size, they do not always seem to know how to pack their hats in boxes of a suitable size! In some cases, the boxes contain more air... then hat. This prompted us to choose something a little different this year, namely a theme with a serious limitation.

With the topic Foldable Follies we challenge you to design headgear that can be folded in and out! Folded in, it should fit in a box of 40 x 40 x 10 cm, unfolded it should be a fully-fledged, wearable hat. The material and techniques are free for you to choose, the box will be sent to you after registration on the website. So this time it's not so much about thinking out of the box, but actually more into the box!

Participation

Everyone is welcome to enter this competition, whether you are a hobbyist, a professional, advanced or a novice milliner, living within the Netherlands or abroad. An annually-changing professional jury will nominate ten hats from all the entries on the basis of originality, quality and millinery craftmanship. From these ten, the three winning designs will be chosen.

As always, only fifty places are available to enter.

The deadline to enter the competition is May 31st, 2023. Participating designs must have arrived at the submission address no later than September 9th, 2023.

Competition conditions

Under the heading competition conditions, you will find all the information about the NHV Hat Competition 2023. Read these terms and conditions carefully: this way you’ll be sure that you have a chance to place among the top ten or even the winning three designs!

Hat show and exhibition

The Hat Competition will take place at Party Centre De Til in Giessenburg on October 21rd, 2023. The winners will be announced after the hat show. Afterwards, the competition hats will be exhibited for a duration of three weeks after the competition day. The location of the exhibition will be announced at a later date.

Jury

This year's jury members are:

Truus Stuiver, owner of hat shop Capello in Nijmegen (Chairwoman of the Jury), Dirk-Jan Kortschot (hat designer), Piet Paris (illustrator and graphic designer) and a millinery student.

Her fascination for the design aspect and the associative character of the hat has, in addition to running the shop, led to her organizing many exhibitions. On the one hand to put designers in the spotlight and to show their craftsmanship and creative ability, on the other hand to let a wide audience take note of this. Applied art appears to be a very accessible art form and has always generated large audiences. The associative character of headgear is also an advantage. This is evident not only at the exhibitions but also in Cappello.

The exhibitions were often organized in collaboration with museums, including museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen. Many Dutch designers have participated in these in recent years. In 1979 the first major exhibition was "Above Mowing Level". Later followed: "In Shape", "Luxury and Decadence in creamy white, gold and silver", "Giro d'Italie, bicycle helmets" and "Hat Couture, Marianne Jongkind ".

Truus works in Capello on a daily basis with domestic as well as foreign designers and many beautiful things find their way to the store, from ordinary caps to magnificent, exclusive designs. She is therefore very curious about the results of the Hat Competition 2023 and is delighted to have been invited to be part of the jury.

A few special moments from his hatter career are: a nomination for the Rotterdam Design Prize, three times an entire broadcast on the ‘Klokhuis’ television programme about his work, giving millinery workshops in America, winning 1st prize in the International Hat Prize in China, the assignment 'Nachtwacht 360' for which he copied thirteen hats of the Night Watch and a personal meeting with Queen Máxima.

Dirk-Jan has been teaching millinery at SintLucas in Boxtel for thirteen years. First as a guest lecturer and for the past three years as a qualified lecturer at the textile department at the Creative Craftsman programme. In addition, together with his husband Marcel, he ran the company De Hoedenmaker in Arnhem and later on the Keizersgracht in Amsterdam for more than ten years. Unfortunately, due to Corona, they had to close the company, but this now allows Dirk-Jan to focus mainly on making commissioned hats and on his monumental work.

Since 1990 he has been working as a teacher and gives masterclasses at art schools for fashion designers and designers in Den Bosch, Breda, Utrecht, The Hague, the Gerrit Rietveld Academy Amsterdam and the Design Academy Eindhoven. He is also co-founder of the postgraduate training for fashion designers FIA, Fashion Institute Arnhem (1998) Piet is the founder and artistic director of three editions of the Arnhem Fashion Biennale, the international cultural event on fashion design (2002 – 2009).

In 2008 he started Studio Piet Paris, a design studio for illustrations and products and also a consultancy for designers and companies. He has won several prizes, such as Paris Capitale de la Mode (2001), the Emmy van Leersum Prize, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunsten (2002), Grand Seigneur 2008, Modint (as Artistic Director of Arnhem Fashion Biennale and as international fashion illustrator) and the Prix de la Mode 2009, Marie Claire, Best Fashion Ambassador. His work is included in the publications "Stylishly drawn, contemporary fashion illustration" by Laird Borrelli" (2000) and "100 Years of Fashion Illustration" by Cally Blackman (2007).

Piet's work can currently be admired in Museum JAN (Amstelveen) in combination with glass art and design by leading fashion designers, until 18 June 2023.

I also did a five-month internship in the hat department of the studio of Dutch National Opera Ballet in Amsterdam. It was one of the most magical experiences on earth. I have been involved in making headwear, hair accessories, jewellery and shoes. When I have completed this course, I would very much like to continue studying at Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Tilburg. I am very interested in the course "Teacher fine arts & design". This course gives you all the freedom to develop your own art style, but you also learn about education. You can become a school teacher, but also give workshops, guided tours in museums, etc. Besides school, I also work as a tailor in a clothing store. I do this at the Vandijk Store in Waalwijk, one of the most beautiful clothing stores in all of North Brabant. Here I mainly do alterations of garments in the studio that is located above the store. I can also occasionally be found downstairs in the store itself, attending to customers.

Prizes

The winner will, of course, receive the silver NHV hatpin. In addition, we proudly offer the following prizes:

1st prize

A voucher worth € 500 from De Vroey Hats, Antwerp (Belgium) and a hat block (size 58) from van L’Atelier du Formier (France) and a one year subscription to The Hat Magazine (UK).

2nd prize

A voucher worth € 300 from The Trimming Company, Bedford (UK) and a voucher worth € 300, from Plooij Hats & Materials, Uddel (Netherlands)

3rd prize

A one day workshop by Marianne Jongkind in Soest (Nederland) (this workshop can be delivered online) and a package worth € 100 from CdiC Supplies (Belgium)

People’s Choice Award

A package worth € 100 composed by Marjorie Louwerens from All for Hats (Netherlands)

Please take note: Vouchers cannot be traded for cash. When vouchers are redeemed, the shipping costs and/or import duties on materials sent to you from abroad will be borne by the winners. Neither the companies that provide the prizes, nor the NHV are responsible for these costs.

Costs

The participation fee is € 50 for NHV members in the Netherlands and Belgium and  € 65 for non-members. For participants from other countries than the two listed above a surcharge of € 12,50 is added to cover shipping costs. Participants will have free access to the opening show in Oktober 2023 and will receive a photo booklet featuring all submitted designs after the show.

Submission of Entries

For all participants, your competition hat must be received at the submission address no later than September 9th, 2023.

We ask you to submit photos of and information about your competition hat twice; (1) printed on A4 paper in your mail package and (2) digitally, using the appropriate form which can be downloaded from the website under Information Form, Hat Competition. 

Information on what we ask you to provide can be read here: competition conditions.

Delivery address

The Dutch Hat Association
Stan Kentonstraat 21
3069 XW Rotterdam

Do you still have questions after reading the competition conditions? Please send an e-mail to wedstrijd@nederlandsehoedenvereniging.nl.

View Previous Submissions