The Red Dress brings together the work of 380 embroiderers from 51 countries in a remarkable 14-year global collaboration conceived by British artist Kirstie Macleod.
Created between 2009 and 2023, the dress features 87 panels of burgundy silk dupion and an estimated 1–1.5 billion stitches. Contributions from women, men and non-binary artists around the world tell stories of identity, culture, displacement and resilience, including work by refugees, asylum seekers and survivors of war.
The project holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collaborative embroidery project and has become a powerful platform for self-expression and connection.
The Australian contribution was created by 27 members of Brisbane’s Allthreads Embroidery community, featuring intricate embroidery inspired by the Australian landscape, flora and fauna.
Presented at the Museum of Brisbane, the exhibition offers audiences the opportunity to experience this extraordinary textile work and discover the individual stories held within its thousands of embroidered details.
