On September 20, 2026, the fifth 920 Hat Carnival opened at Nantong’s hat culture and creative park, bringing together industry guests, designers, academics, heritage practitioners, and artists from China and abroad.
The gathering explored the many roles a hat can play: an everyday accessory, a work of craftsmanship, an expression of identity, and a connection between cultures. Through discussions, cultural presentations, and new initiatives, the carnival linked the traditions of headwear with ideas for its future.
Bringing the Headwear Community Together
The carnival created a meeting place for people working across manufacturing, fashion, education, and the arts. Hats provided a shared starting point for conversations that reached beyond individual products.
A cross-industry dialogue salon brought academic and business perspectives together. Discussions addressed industry development, design innovation, the contemporary relevance of intangible cultural heritage, and the cultivation of new talent.
For the headwear community, these topics are closely connected. New designs depend on both creative experimentation and practical skill, while traditional techniques need opportunities to be understood and carried forward.
The Global Debut of 101 Hats
One of the event’s highlights was the global debut of 101 Hats. The launch ceremony brought guests together on stage to celebrate the publication and its place within the wider conversation about hat culture.
Jeffrey Sun, founder of Foremost Garments & Accessories and Hatters’ Hub, connects headwear manufacturing with collecting and cultural promotion. His JEFFSUN Hats Museum in Nantong adds a museum setting to that work, offering another way to encounter hats beyond their everyday use.
The book’s debut at the carnival brought publishing into this exchange between industry and culture. It gave the gathering a lasting point of reference alongside the conversations and presentations taking place throughout the event.
Preserving Heritage and Supporting Future Work
The event also featured the unveiling of 101 heritage crowns and headpieces, highlighting the cultural significance of traditional headwear.
Light and visual presentation drew attention to the aesthetics of these pieces. Their presence encouraged visitors to consider hats as objects shaped by history, ceremony, craft, and identity.
Alongside these presentations, the carnival marked the launch of a global hat foundation and announced an art workshop initiative. Together, these developments extended the event’s focus from celebrating existing work to supporting the continued exchange of knowledge and ideas.
Exploring AI and Creative Possibilities
AI was another theme within the carnival’s exploration of headwear innovation. Its inclusion opened a conversation about how emerging technology can contribute to creative inspiration.
Placed alongside heritage and craftsmanship, this theme offered a useful question for the industry: how can new tools expand design possibilities while preserving the knowledge and judgment that give a hat its character?
The value of that conversation lies in connecting experimentation with the people who understand materials, construction, and the experience of wearing a hat.
Hat Culture and the Foremost Story
For Foremost Hat, this cultural story sits alongside the practical work of making headwear. A hat must serve the person who wears it, but its shape, materials, and details can also communicate a much broader story.
The fifth 920 Hat Carnival brought those perspectives together. It celebrated traditional headwear, introduced new initiatives, and gave the international community a place to discuss what comes next.
From Nantong to Paris, the conversation around 101 Hats shows how a familiar accessory can become a meeting point for craftsmanship, creativity, and cultural exchange.
