KENTUCKY DERBY MUSEUM PICKS GENA CONTI’S CHAPEAU AS BEST OF BREED AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY

"Limeade” was a winner in the Kentucky Derby Hat Contest

Michigan-based hat designer Gena Conti had the honor of being chosen one of the top milliners by the Kentucky Derby Museum. Her chapeau, “Limeade,” made of primrose sinamay straw, was chosen as the hat that most represented the spirit of the Kentucky Derby.

The “Limeade hat” is topped with lime, burgundy and white crushed printed chiffon fabric with matching band. The brim is seven inches wide and has four layers of yellow primrose sinamay with embroidered tulle and vintage Russian burgundy veiling. Hand cut painted turkey feathers, silk and velvet flowers with quills are also atop this creation.

The hat will be part of the Derby Hat Exhibit (there are 20 to 30 hats in the exhibit) that runs until June 2007. You can view the award winning chapeau, “Limeade,” at
http://www.genaconti.com/Limeade.htm

“This year's contest was phenomenal! We had the largest number of entries to date,” said Courtney Mangeot, PR Director of the Kentucky Derby Museum. The museum receives over 200,000 visitors annually.

As for Conti, she’s thrilled to be picked for the fourth year in a row. “The Kentucky Derby is a US millinery highlight every year. With the increase of world-wide hat sales and working milliners, the competition gets tougher each season.”

Conti makes hats for all hat events and races such as Ascot, Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, parks and conservancy luncheons, The Belle Isle Women’s Committee Hat Luncheon in Detroit and “wherever fabulous hat wearing is a must.”

The Kentucky Derby Museum is located at Gate 1 of Churchill Downs.
Museum information (502) 637-1111
or visit the museum at http://www.derbymuseum.org. The museum receives over 200,000 visitors annually.