MoMu Hackathon 2025: A Weekend at the Museum

The second edition of the MoMu Hackathon took place during the weekend of 22 and 23 November and brought together 35 participants from different parts of the world for two days of intensive collaboration. Work took place inside the MoMu Library, with additional studio spaces generously made available by the Fashion Department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. Participants explored new ways of engaging with the MoMu Study Collection through technology, using digital tools to breathe new life into historical objects and to rethink how fashion heritage can remain accessible and relevant today.

The challenge was clear but ambitious: transform the MoMu Study Collection into an innovative digital experience in just one weekend. Multidisciplinary teams were supported by coaches from CLO, Digital Fashion Archive, d_archive, MaxLab, Hack Belgium, HOWEST, MoMu and Masjien, who each contributed their expertise. This guidance encouraged a broad range of ideas, from digital prototypes to interactive storytelling concepts. Many participants later described not only the final outcomes but also the team spirit, exchange of knowledge and positive atmosphere as highlights of the weekend. At the end of the sprint, four prizes were awarded to celebrate outstanding projects.

The European Fashion Heritage Association Prize went to Undressing the Past by The House of Swans, developed by Nino van Lith, Liwia Łabuz, Paweł Androsiuk and Isabel Palumbo. The concept impressed the jury with its bold, cinematic approach. By digitally revealing the internal layers of a historical garment, the prototype brings the technical and emotional depth of fashion heritage to the surface in an immersive way. Marco Rendina of the European Fashion Heritage Association praised the project for its “considered provocation and impressive engagement with fashion heritage.”

The Bloomsbury Prize was awarded to MoMuse – The Tailored MoMu Assistant, developed by Ward De Muynck, Franziska Schutz, Zil Julie Vostalova and Federica Buzzi. This personalised digital guide adapts to each visitor’s prior knowledge and interests, offering an intuitive and accessible way to explore the collection. Leslie Holden of The Digital Fashion Group highlighted “how innovative and powerful it is for a virtual assistant to genuinely meet visitors at their own level of knowledge.”

The CLO Prize went to A Call to the Front Line, created by the Cadettes team, consisting of Isabelle Udo, Victoria McGuire-VAM, Isa Carmejoole and Anissa El-Azzouzi. Their 3D and AR exploration of a 19th-century French military jacket and its digital counterpart stood out for its exceptional technical skill and emotional impact. CLO coach Mathilde Cadoux praised the “technical perfection and the invitation to reflect on conflict, history and representation.”

The MoMu Hackathon Prize was presented to PatterNet Inc., formed by Eva Ruyters, Thomas De Paepe, Ali Osman Demirağaç and Heegun Choi, for their Pattern-First Exploration Tool. This visual interface reinterprets the MoMu Study Collection through a network of pattern pieces, offering researchers, students and pattern enthusiasts a clear, functional and intuitive way to uncover connections within the collection. MoMu Director Kaat Debo explained the jury’s choice:

De MoMu Hackathon 2025 zette opnieuw in op samenwerking, experiment en digitale verbeelding. Het weekend illustreerde vooral dat de toekomst van mode-erfgoed ontstaat waar creativiteit, technologie en nieuwsgierigheid elkaar kruisen.

More information about the projects of the Dries Van Noten Study Center can be found here.