2026/05/22
What is the legacy of “Made in Hungary”, and which creations could earn the title “ReMade in Hungary” today? Nearly 150 students from nine institutions across the country, forming 41 teams, applied to our competition this year, organised in collaboration with the Budapest Complex Centre of Vocational Training (BKSZC). The students enrolled in fashion, design, fine and applied arts, and beauty care vocational training reinterpreted Hungarian cultural heritage through a contemporary, sustainable lens.
The students were free to choose different methods, materials, and techniques. After the preselection, 3 teams per category had the opportunity to bring their projects to life within five months. Once again this year, experts and educators assisted them in experimentation and manufacturing processes. In addition, mentors also supported their teams in creating projects that are sustainable and applicable in the long term. Thanks to this approach, several works have gained the opportunity to be showcased at further professional events throughout the years, and some projects attracted the attention of industry players.
This year’s mentors were: Balázs Antal, ceramic designer; Attila Dóczi, visual artist; Dóra Eiler, ceramist; Adrienn Feller, leader of the ADRIENNE FELLER Beauty Therapist Academy, certified cosmetology instructor, aromatherapist, and mental health counsellor; Fanni Hegedűs, furniture maker and restaurateur; Ákos Lipóczki, associate professor at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME); Zsófia Marencsák, editor of the beauty section of GLAMOUR Hungary; Bence Sárkány, furniture designer; Daniella Sovány, founder of the brand DAN!ELLE; Tamás Szili, founder and managing director of Unreal; Melinda Varga, co-founder of CRÉEM, product development director; and Júlia Vesmás, creative industry mentor, leader of MOME Creative Launchpad.
The top twelve teams, each consisting of 3 to 5 members, presented their projects to the professional jury and the programme ambassadors on 21 May 2026 in the finals held in Apollo Gallery.
In the fashion category, Hungarian folk traditions met contemporary fashion design. All three of the finalist teams came from the Budapesti Komplex SZC Kreatív és Kézművesipari Technikum. The HUNique team’s collection reinterpreted the visual motifs of the Hungarian puli dog and the traditional szűr coat in modern womenswear pieces designed for versatile use. The OSUB team reimagined the iconic figures of the Busójárás in Mohács as a sustainable fashion concept. Urban Essence created a contemporary streetwear collection inspired by the visual world and rhythm of Budapest’s “small underground”.
In the design category, traditional object culture and a contemporary approach were connected in a variety of forms. The Juliskák team from BKSZC Kreatív és Kézművesipari Technikum designed an interactive board game based on traditional Hungarian items, playfully introducing participants to Hungarian cultural heritage. The STITCHES team from the Győri SzC Sport és Kreatív Technikum created objects from postcards using embroidery techniques, focusing on a contemporary reinterpretation of artisanal traditions. The Idegenek (Strangers) team from BKSZC Kreatív és Kézművesipari Technikum reflected on questions of modern lifestyle and sustainability by reinterpreting kitchen utensils that are rarely used today to create a functional piece of furniture.
The entries in the fine and applied arts category presented contemporary expressions of Hungarian motifs and visual culture. Among the teams from the Budapesti Komplex SZC Kreatív és Kézművesipari Technikum, Mazsolák reimagined classic Hungarian fairy-tale characters using a contemporary visual language. Kolimpett experimented with redesigning traditional Hungarian playing cards and a contemporary application of folk motifs, while the GOGO team explored the symbols of the Busójárás in Mohács in a spatial, comic-style installation, using recycled materials and referencing the formal language of porcelain manufactories.
In the beauty and personal care category, the young creators explored the connection between Hungarian identity, traditions, and the contemporary beauty industry. The installation made by the Diólabor team from Diószegi Sámuel Baptista Technikum és Szakképző Iskola reflected on self-expression, identity, and the circularity of nature through the symbolism of hair. Among the teams from the BKSZC Erzsébet Királyné Szépészeti Technikum, Csillagszem translated Hungarian folk motifs, as well as inspirations from local fashion and cosmetics brands, into contemporary makeup and hairstyling concepts, while Herb Spirit’s magazine-format project explored questions of conscious beauty care based on natural ingredients and a sustainable approach to cosmetics.
The projects were evaluated by Judit Osvárt, editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration magazine, and Krisztina Maróy, founder and editor-in-chief of GLAMOUR magazine and Glamour.hu, considering creativity, innovation, professional execution, and sustainability.
This year, the programme was supported by ambassadors Hedvig Jagasics, CEO of Sugarbird; Attila Ferenc Bálint, sustainability expert at IKEA; Róbert Mascher, president of the Studio of Young Designers Association (SYDA); and Zsolt Kovács, CEO of KALLOS Cosmetics.
Based on the jury’s decision, Urban Essence took first place in the fashion category, STITCHES in the design category, Kolimpett in the fine and applied arts category, and Herb Spirit in the beauty and personal care category. For the first time this year, we presented a Sustainability Award, recognising the project that most creatively reflected on the challenges of our era. The Mazsolák team received this accolade.
The programme did not conclude at the awards ceremony. The students will be assisted with further mentoring on their professional journey, and the winners received professional opportunities: The first-place winner in the fashion category will have the opportunity to visit a Sugarbird campaign photoshoot, the design category winners can participate in IKEA’s Sustainability Workshop, the category winners in fine and applied arts will have the chance to exhibit at SYDA, while the beauty and personal care category teams received Kallos vouchers and products. In addition, Creative Hungary invited the awarded teams to its fashion and design industry events, including the Budapest Central European Fashion Week and 360 Design Budapest.
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