The water has always been my happy place, especially spending time in the water. Swimming, diving, snorkelling, floating on my back staring at the sky. I love the soft buffeting of the waves and current. This hat took its inspiration from diving. It has always felt like entering in a different world.

I recreated the sea urchin base using embroidery thread, bead caps, domed, drilled and painted aluminium disks, and beads. With the feather duster worm and ribbon eel, I tried to capture the flow, buoyancy, and weightlessness of the ocean, as though they’re moved by a current. I experimented with so many different materials before deciding on dyed silk for the feather duster.

The pinokpok lining was dyed and swirled to look like the inside of a sea shell. The most challenging parts for me were keeping it organic looking, and remembering it still needed to look like a hat.

I realised while working this piece that my other happy place is getting lost in planning, researching and experimenting. As long as I’m not diving, I can still make hats and spend time in this happy place.

Note: Entries have been not been edited or proofread to protect the integrity of the maker's original meaning.