After graduating from the apparel design department of Bunka Fashion College at the top of his class in 2004, he moved to Italy. He unveiled a collection as an underwear designer from an Italian manufacturer. After returning to Japan, he created hats and headpieces for stage performances and musicians both in Japan and overseas, and at the same time developed his artist activity “NOBUKI HIZUME”. In 2009, he moved to France, where he has worked on many hats for the Grand Maison’s Paris collection. In 2019, he was certified Best Craftsman of France. Note: The Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) is a title awarded to highly skilled craftsmen who are worthy of being heirs to French culture, and is said to be equivalent to the Japanese system of recognizing important intangible cultural properties (commonly known as “living national treasures”). In the same year, he started the hat brand “HIZUME”.
In the LOEWE collections for FW22 and FW23, he is also taking up the challenge of making clothes using traditional hat-making techniques.
https://hizume.com
Reason for holding
To Support New Creators
for the Future of Hat Culture.
For over 40 years, KAI has supported "cutting" and "crafting" in the apparel and manufacturing industries.
The KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition was launched after an encounter with Nobuki Hizume, one of the world's leading hat and head-piece designers, who reminded us that "scissors underpin creation."
In addition, KAI and Mr. Hizume collaborated to create "Ō," a product that redefines sewing scissors, with the goal of creating the world's best scissors, which are essential for hat making.
However, the number of people aspiring to become hat designers is decreasing every year, and the number of people involved in the hat industry in Japan is also decreasing.
Hats are an essential fashion item.
Wearing a hat can give you confidence and a new you...
We believe that hats are culture that enrich our daily lives.
We want to redefine hat culture and bring the best hats to everyone.
The competition discovers talented people who will be active not only in Japan but also all over the world and who will create the hat culture of the future.
To support these new creators, the Hat & Head-piece Competition will be held again this year.
Design theme
"Origin of the Hat"
-What is the origin of the hat for you?
The day I wore my first hat,
the day I bought my first hat,
the day I gave a hat to someone else.
There are an infinite number of memorable encounters between people and hats because there as many hats as there are people to remember.
Transform the origin of the hat for you, the story of you and your hat, into an idea.
We look forward to reading stories about people "meeting" hats for the first time.
The entry acceptance period has now closed.
Thank you to everyone who entered.
KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition
Grand Prize
Miwako Kawauchi
nature
- Comment from the entrant
- Using straw as the base material for the hat, I expressed the cyclical providence of nature using natural materials such as fountain palm leaves and hydrangeas. Fountain palm leaves have a beautiful shape like that of a wing, and I created this hat with the desire to express the power and beauty of life. This hat will fade and decay over time, finally returning to the earth.
- Nobuki Hizume, judging panel
- I’m so happy that Miwako was also a finalist in 2023 that it’s almost as if it was happening to me. It’s a testament to her efforts. This hat showcases delicate techniques that are only possible for one who has been crafting hats for many years, and the design is accurately represented in its form.
- Toru Kurihara, judging panel
- I was incredibly impressed with the design. The faithful incorporation of the design and concept and with how well it is made when trying the hat on were moving. Personally, I’m glad to see someone involved in the hat making industry win for the first time. I think this win will inspire and give hope to those who dream of being artisans themselves.
KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition
Judge's Special Award
Ryoma Chikami
Cokage Hat
- Comment from the entrant
- I looked back to childhood memories for inspiration on where to start this hat. The motif of the shade of a tree, the interwoven shadows of which served as a hat for me when I loved playing outside as a child. I pieced together 400 magnolia leaves, resulting in a shape without seams that expresses the peace and safety one feels when spending time among nature.
- Yukari Sato, judging panel
- This hat has such a simple shape, but by bleaching actual plants, it appears incredibly delicate, with a sense of transparency. When judging this along with the pieces of other winners, it reminds me of a delicate Japanese building gracefully sitting amongst European architecture, truly embodying the sense of wabi-sabi. I really appreciate its personality.”
- Yo Suzuki, judging panel
- Made from 400 overlapping leaves, you can really feel the sense of patience in this piece. The bit of madness alongside beauty in the form showcases the artisan’s enthusiasm and the delicate hand in its creation.
Outstanding Works
-
Riria Eharayaoman -
Ayami NishiyoshiMizuhiki Bonnet Hat -
Yuki KumagaiWind -
Ami KoshibaDrapé -
Momoka ShiroyamaKNITTING -
Keishin FukunagaReplace -
Rie MatsuoA Dedication -
Nagi Kubotawarabe -
YOON MYAT SU LINGraduation Steps: A journey to success -
LIU YINGSHANobverse -
Kiriko Sato PiardHide-and-Seek -
Austin MonteroShelter
The essence of hats for me is that they connect people to each other.
There are manners for wearing and removing hats that depend on the situation.
Manners are a consideration and thought for others, so I think hats have an important role to play in connecting people to each other.
I conceived this idea from the desire to increase the number of things that can connect people with something other than words.
This design is inspired by the Aboriginal people of Australia.
They have used art, rather than words, as a way of expressing the connection between people.
This work uses dot painting to depict people mixing and connecting with each other.
My journey with hats began with a hood hat that my grandmother hand-knitted for me. I don't remember wearing it because I received it right after I was born, but I learned about it when my mother kept it because it was very delicately woven.
Now that I am an adult, I designed this hat to express my gratitude to my grandmother, whom I adored, by making hats knitted one by one by hand and with love, just like she did.
Nature, natural forces, laws of nature, cycles.
Eventually, everything returns to the earth, and lives with nature, going around again.
I recall a day when I was a little girl and it was windy.
My hat almost flew off as I rode on the back of my mother's bicycle to the park.
From that day on, I became afraid of windy days.
I incorporated the feeling of desperately holding my favorite hat down because I thought the wind would take it and the movement of the wind into the design.
From the dignity, attitude, appearance, gestures, facial expressions, and posture of the female figure and muse, which are my usual sources of inspiration, I cut out angles that I consider beautiful and incorporate them into my designs.
My grandmother acted like someone from a picture book.
She sat on the porch in the fall and knitted every day.
She knitted a lot of things for me before winter came.
She gave me lots of gloves, sweaters, and hats as presents every year.
As I grew up I forgot about the knitted clothes and accessories my grandmother made for me.
I believe that there are many people like me who have forgotten the small happiness and warmth of their childhood, and through this artwork, I hope that many people will learn more about knitting than ever before and remember the kindness of their grandmothers that they felt when they were little.
Recognition is indeed an ambiguous thing. For example, it is possible to read a sentence and predict its content even if the words are slightly misspelled or out of order. We can therefore recognize and imagine the original hat in the same way even if it is misplaced or misaligned.
By dividing hats, switching the order, shifting them around, and moving them in various ways, a number of ways of seeing them can be created depending on the combination.
The design source is furyu, a folk performing art of Saga Prefecture, and the symbolic tentsuki (a type of helmet with a pointed tip) is superimposed on the figure of people's prayer.
The sight of my small body clothed in a happi coat and an ornate headdress made me feel as if I had become something other than a person, even though I was only a child.
I would like to express through my artwork the otherworldly experience I had at that time, when I dedicated a dance in a temple with the sound of the festival flute.
Those days of picking up beautiful stones,
endlessly following the marching ants,
stuffing my hat full of acorns I had collected,
sweating in my kindergarten hat, have been my first "safari hat" for as long as I can remember.
It reminds me of my childhood, when I would just go where my heart took me without worrying what others thought and absorb the discoveries that lay ahead, expanding the world inside me.
As I grew up, I somehow came to put reason before pure excitement, and the hat filled with acorns in my memory looks very bright to me now.
I create hats that take me back to those days when I was faithful to my curiosity.
This artwork was inspired by my childhood memories as the start of my journey with hats.
The origin of this project is the shade of the trees and the shadows woven by the trees that used to be my hat, as I loved to play outside.
Molded from a single sheet, the seamless, long-brimmed hat expresses the comfort and protection felt during time spent in nature.
Its light shape evokes the sound of leaves as wind blows through the trees.
"Graduation Steps: A Journey to Success" hat is a symbol of aspiration, growth, and the journey towards success. The inspiration for this hat comes from a deeply personal and meaningful moment in my childhood. In my first childhood photo, my parents placed a graduation hat on my head, embodying their hope for me to become a well-educated and accomplished person as I grew up. This gesture was not just about academic success, but about thriving in every aspect of life.
The unique stair-like element in this hat represents the steps and stages that we must encounter on the path to success. Each step signifies a milestone, a challenge overcome, and a lesson learned.
This hat will be crafted from paper-like material to achieve the classic structure of a graduation cap. To enhance its texture, the material is meticulously cut into lines that form a wave-like shape around the hat. This wave symbolizes the ups and downs experienced throughout life's journey.
The "Graduation Steps: A Journey to Success" hat serves as a reminder of the aspirations instilled in me from a young age and the dedication required to achieve them. It is a tribute to the support and hopes of my parents and a testament to the journey of self-improvement that defines my life. This hat reflects past achievements and guides me towards future successes.
What is the opposite of darkness, when i look at scary beautiful things, thinking about the boundary between beauty and weirdness, I try to portray the extension of a dream of dark and grotesque beauty with smooth lines that merge with the head, just like the female figure in a horror movie, cunning and charming
A Journey to the Origin of the Hat
The hat, a timeless accessory, traces its origins to an era when humans sought protection from the sun and other elements, and to distinguish themselves from one another. Beyond its utilitarian functions, the hat quickly became a symbol of mystery, elegance, and playfulness.
The "Hide-and-Seek" hat draws inspiration from this playful and enigmatic essence. Its clever design plays with perception and viewing angles, revealing or concealing the face depending on the observer's perspective. Like a sophisticated mask, it invites a game of hide-and-seek, where the wearer alternates between visibility and hiddenness, creating a dance of appearance and disappearance.
This hat celebrates the duality of presence and absence, offering the wearer an aura of mystery and elegance. Just like in a game of hide-and-seek, it evokes the child who hides and reappears, invoking pure joy and insatiable curiosity for the unknown.
"Hide-and-Seek" is not merely a hat; it is an ode to the art of concealment and revelation, a tribute to the playful and mysterious origins of headwear. By wearing this hat, you embrace the elegance of the invisible and the beauty of unveiling, while paying homage to the deep roots of this fascinating accessory.
My first encounter with a hat was when I was told I would be going on a beach walk for Boy Scouts. I was 7 years old at the time, and did not own a hat. I ended up getting a cheap nylon baseball cap for the excursion. On the day of the walk we were told to collect shells. It was so sunny and hot, but my hat gave me a sense of security to embark on this adventure. Which reminds me of the shells being the portable shelters of organisms that live in the Ocean. That is why my design is inspired by my first nylon baseball cap in the style of a shell.
Award
KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition
Excellence Award
The winning works will be announced at the event on August 10.
The winner of the Excellence Award will be presented with KAI's sewing scissors and will make a hat.
In addition, we will bear the cost of up to JPY20,000 to produce each work.
KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition
Grand Prize
A Grand Prize will be selected from the works produced. The winner will receive an extra prize worth a total of JPY1,000,000, which includes participation in a fashion and design training course and a pair of top-of-the-range sewing scissors called "Ō" developed in collaboration with Mr. Hizume. In addition, the winner will be interviewed by the media.
Fashion and design training course
Sewing scissors called "Ō"
Interviewed by the media
KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition
Judge's Special Award
A Judge's Special Award will be further selected from the Excellence Award winners.
The winner will receive a supplementary prize of JPY50,000.
Contest schedule
Note: The contest schedule is subject to change without prior notice.
Judging criteria
The KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition will be judged on the five criteria shown below
Judge
President of Kurihara Corporation. Born in Hyogo prefecture. After graduating from Aoyama Gakuin University, he started working at World Co., Ltd., a major apparel manufacturer. Some time later, he joined the family business Kurihara, and succeeded in opening a casual hat specialty store "override" in the area called Ura-Harajuku. Since that time, he has been realizing the development of multiple stores through directly managed stores. In 2003, he was appointed to president.
While serving as CMO at KAI, a global cutlery manufacturer, he also serves as CCO at Great Works, a creative company in Sweden. In recent years, while producing expressions and corporate promotions in Japan and overseas, he has been involved in a wide range of activities as a creative director, such as directing the video of actor Mari Natsuki’s performance “PLAY x PRAY” and serving as an executive advisor for manga artist Katsuki Tanaka’s “Shibuya SAUNAS”. In 2019, he was selected as one of Forbes Japan magazine’s “39 Designers Who Will Change the World”, and in 2021, he was chosen as Nikkei’s “Marketer of the Year 2021”.
She grew up in Ehime Prefecture, where handmade Japanese washi paper is produced. She began her career as a fashion model after studying abroad in London. After returning to Japan, she studied visual design at the Kuwasawa Design School, and in 2010 began working on washi paper production in her hometown, where handmade washi is produced.
In 2012, she moved to her current studio, where she continues to work in a natural environment using Kannon water, one of the 100 best waters in Japan. Her wide range of client work includes original lighting for the RIMOWA Omotesando store, decorations for the Louis Vuitton store, artwork for the Intercontinental Yokohama Pier 8, and wrapping boxes for the Nissan ARIYA ceremony.
In recent years, she has focused on the possibilities of incorporating 3D printers and other forms of digital fabrication into her work, and has created many three-dimensional works that have won national and international awards in design and craft. She is a special lecturer at Osaka University of Arts, Product Design Course.
Pre-entry/
Online Information Session
Online Information Session
The KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition is now accepting pre-entries.
Those who register will receive contest information from the Secretariat.
A preliminary information session about the contest will also be held online.
The online information session will include an explanation of the contest content,
a Q&A session with Mr. Hizume, and an introductory lecture on hat-making (tentative).
A prize of a pair of thread-cutting scissors will be awarded to 3 participants of the preliminary online information session.
Information on the online information session will be sent at a later date to the e-mail address registered in the pre-entry.
If you do not receive an email, please set up your e-mail reception settings so that you can receive emails from @vectorinc.co.jp.
The entry acceptance period has now closed.
Thank you to everyone who entered.
About KAI Sewing Scissors
What are sewing scissors?
Also known as cutting scissors, these scissors are suitable for cutting thick fabrics and cloth.
They are used not only by ordinary households, but also by professionals who handle cloth and fabrics.
About the "Ō" sewing scissors brand
These are sewing scissors jointly developed with Nobuki Hizume, the world's leading hat and head-piece designer with the aim of achieving the world's best cutting performance.
KAI, which has been making scissors used in the apparel industry and other manufacturing industries for more than 40 years, has achieved a sharpness that meets Mr. Hizume's high standards after more than eight years of development.
The product is a set of six sewing scissors in a wooden case made of chestnut wood from Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
KAI 7000 SERIES Product Features
- Adopts molybdenum vanadium stainless steel that has excellent sharpness and durability.
- Delicate and smooth sharpness achieved by a proprietary blade attachment.
- Adopts a special screw that does not easily come loose.
- Adopts a handle shape that does not cause fatigue even when used for a long time.
- Adopts a soft elastomer resin that is gentle on hands and does not slip easily.
The scissors were selected for the 2005 IF Design Award/Germany for their excellent practicality and design.
Entry overview
■ Theme
"Origin of the Hat" What is the origin of the hat for you?
■ Entry period
11:00, Wednesday, April 24, 2024 to 23:59, Tuesday, July 16, 2023
■ Work conditions
If the work is selected as an excellent work, it must be actually produced by October 20.
Note: The submitted works must be unpublished original works.
In addition, we will bear the cost of up to 20,000 yen to produce each selected work.
■ Judgment criteria
- Design
- Theme/concept
- Techniques
- Structure/Expressiveness
- Functionality
Note 1: Judges may be added.
Note 2: After a rigorous screening process, only the Excellence Award winners will be notified of their winning by email.
Note 3: We cannot respond to any inquiries regarding the screening results.
■ Eligibility
Entrants who can submit the work to be actually produced to the KAI project team in Japan in the case that the submitted work wins the Excellence Award. There are no restrictions on nationality or place of residence (in Japan or overseas).
Note 1: Entrants can also apply as a team. If a team of entrants is selected for an Excellence Award and the Grand Prize, the prize will be presented to one representative.
Note 2: Minors must obtain the consent of their parent or guardian in advance. However, entrants from the organizer, its affiliated corporations, and their respective officers, employees, contractors, and agents are not eligible.
■ How to enter
Please apply using the entry form.
Note 1: We can only accept the specified entry form.
Note 2: Make sure the attached image is in color.
Note 3: Entrants are responsible for all internet communication charges and other expenses incurred when entering.
The entry acceptance period has now closed.
Thank you to everyone who entered.
Notes
- Check the terms of application regarding the copyright of the submitted work.
- Photos and videos of submitted design proposals, production works, related events, and training in Paris may be published in printed materials, on the internet, social media, and TV programs. Moreover, members of the press may film and conduct interviews throughout the contest.
- The actual submitted work will not be returned.
- Personal information will be strictly managed and will not be used for any purpose other than the operation of this contest. Additionally, we will not provide personal information to third parties without the customer's consent, except when providing it to a subcontractor to the extent necessary for outsourcing the relevant administrative work.
- Unless unavoidable, do not change the registered e-mail address until the announcement of the winners on August 9. If you need to change the email address, contact the contest secretariat. The award may be invalidated if the winner cannot be contacted due to the contact e-mail address being unreachable or other such reasons, or if a reply to the email notifying the entrant about the award is not received by the specified deadline.
- This contest may be changed or canceled without notice due to unavoidable circumstances.
- Other terms and conditions apply to this contest. Make sure to check the details of the terms of application when entering.
Terms of Application
When applying for the "KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition 2024" ("this contest"), it is necessary to agree to the following application rules ("this agreement").
1. Please be sure to read these terms and conditions before entering this contest. By entering this contest, you are deemed to have agreed to these terms.
2. The organizer of this contest is KAI Corporation ("organizer").
≪Application Period≫
3. Applications for this contest will start at 11:00 on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 and will end at 23:59 on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 (“application period”). Only applications during the application period will be valid. All display periods are Japan Standard Time (JST).
≪Eligibility≫
4. Applicants are limited to those who can submit the actual work to be produced to the KAI project team in Japan ("eligible applicants") in the case that the submitted work wins the Excellence Award. There are no restrictions on nationality or place of residence (Japan or overseas). If you are a minor, please obtain consent from your parent or guardian in advance. Note that entries from the organizer and its affiliates, and their respective officers, employees, contractors, and agents ("contest parties") are not eligible.
≪How to apply≫
5. The application method for this contest is shown below.
Please apply using the application form.
≪Precautions when applying≫
*You can submit multiple works.
*Please note that we cannot accept applications that do not use the specified application form.
*The application data should be in either JPG, PNG, or PDF format, and the file size should be less than 100 MB.
*Please make sure the attached image is in color.
*Please fill in the necessary information in either Japanese or English.
*The contents of the application and the name on the applicant may be used in KAI's own media and advertising media. When KAI uses this information, the content of the application, including text, may be processed or modified to the extent that the image is not corrupted.
*When submitting your work from abroad, you are responsible for any customs charges incurred for the transport of your work, so please pay in advance. We will pay a delivery fee of JPY3,000, regardless of whether the delivery is in Japan or from overseas.
≪Permission to use application content and approval of non-claim of personal rights≫
6. If the applicant owns the copyright of the content used in this contest, the sponsor's website and social networking services (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, etc.) ("SNS") will be used to promote similar promotions and contests in the future, including but not limited to posting of application content, promotions, advertisements, and marketing conducted by the organizer or other affiliates bearing the KAI brand name. The applicant grants to the organizer a relicensing right to use the contents of the application for any purpose, in any medium, for an unlimited period of time and without royalty fees, all over the world, regardless of whether or not it is related to the aforementioned activities. However, the copyright of the content of the entry belongs to the author.
7. The applicant agrees that in the event that the contest organizer uses the application in any way, the applicant will not claim any rights of identity or naming of the author/implementer, the right to not have his/her name misrepresented, and similar rights, including those that may arise in the future regardless of location ("personal rights").
8. Once an application has been submitted, it cannot be withdrawn or modified.
9. Content that infringes on the rights of third parties (copyrights, portrait rights, etc.) cannot be used. For example, if the design proposal includes a third party's copyrighted work (works of art, movies, photographs, etc.) or portraits, etc., it is necessary to obtain prior approval from the third party. If any dispute occurs between the applicant, the organizer, or a third party regarding the content of the application, the applicant shall attempt to resolve the dispute at their own responsibility and expense. The organizer will not get involved in any way and does not take any responsibility.
10. The organizer reserves the right to disqualify any application if it reasonably believes that the application falls under any of the prohibited items stipulated in these terms and conditions or related laws, or is inappropriate for any other reason. In that case, no discussion will take place and the decision will be made at the organizer's sole discretion.
11. The organizer reserves the right to request identification to verify the name, age, and address of applicants. In addition, the organizer reserves the right to confirm the legitimacy and validity of applications, and to disqualify applicants who are determined to have entered false information.
12. The organizer is not responsible for lost, late, or incorrect applications.
≪Determination of winners≫
13. Out of the applicants who fully meet the requirements, we will first decide the award-winning work through document screening.
The winner of the Excellence Award will be presented with KAI's sewing scissors and will make a hat. From among them, two works will be selected for further awards, one the Grand Prize and another the Judge's Special Award, by the judging panel and the KAI project team.
Note: The actual submitted work will not be returned.
≪Prizes≫
14. The prizes are as follows.
Outstanding performance award: KAI "7280 Fabric Shears 280MM", production costs of up to JPY20,000 covered Grand prize: Fashion design training, KAI "Sewing scissors 'Ō' 6-piece set," media interviews Judge's Special Award: JPY50,000 prize money
Note: For fashion design training, the destination and details of the program will be decided based on the global situation and other circumstances at the time of implementation of the training.
≪Receipt of prizes≫
15. Winners must comply with all prize terms and conditions as a condition of receiving the prize.
16. At the time of awarding the prize, we may check that the winner who has expressed his/her intention to accept the prize to the organizer is the applicant himself/herself. Regardless of the reason, if the applicant cannot verify their identity, their win may be invalidated and we may not be able to provide the prize.
17. Prizes must be used under the stated conditions and no compensation will be paid if the winner is unable to use the prize under the stated conditions. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash nor exchanged for other goods or services.
≪Announcement of winners≫
18. Winners of the Excellence Award will be notified by email from the contest secretariat by Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Please follow the instructions in the message to receive your prize.
19. We cannot respond to any inquiries regarding the selection results.
≪Re-selection≫
20. The organizer reserves the right to void and re-select the winner if the winner fails to meet the terms and conditions of this promotion, or if the winner abandons or refuses to claim the prize.
≪Limitation of liability≫
21. In the event of any act, omission, event or circumstance beyond the organizer's reasonable control that renders the organizer's compliance with these terms and conditions impossible, the organizer shall be released from liability for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations and shall at the same time (subject to applicable law) have the power to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the contest.
22. The contest parties shall not be held liable whatsoever for any loss, damage, expense, fee or personal injury ("damages") arising from the promotion of this contest or the use of prizes, unless otherwise specified by law. The above damages include, but are not limited to, direct, indirect, and consequential damages. In addition, such damages shall include damages that cannot reasonably be expected to occur as a matter of course due to the natural course of events, even if the contest parties have anticipated such damages.
23. The organizer may collect the personal information of applicants for the purpose of staging this contest. Eligible applicants consent to the organizer's use of personal information provided in connection with this contest for the purpose of conducting this contest and providing prizes. In addition, within the scope of achieving the purpose, the handling of the acquired personal information may be outsourced to an external company. Without limiting the generality of the aforementioned items, personal information of eligible applicants provided in connection with this contest will be handled in accordance with the organizer's privacy policy (https://www.kai-group.com/global/en/privacypolicy/).
24. These terms and conditions and their interpretation, performance or enforceable performance shall be governed by Japanese law.
25. The Tokyo District Court shall be the court of first instance for disputes or claims arising out of or related to this contest.
≪Inquiries about this contest≫
"KAI Hat & Head-piece Competition" PR secretariat (within Antil Inc.)
Email: kaihat@vectorinc.co.jp
*It may take up to 3 business days for us to reply (we cannot reply on weekends and public holidays).
*Please note that we cannot respond to inquiries not related to promotions.