An extraordinary artwork stitched by hundreds of hands from around the world will be exhibited in Brisbane this winter.
The Red Dress is a monumental collaborative embroidery project conceived by British artist Kirstie Macleod. Over a period of 14 years, the dress travelled across the globe, gathering contributions from 380 embroiderers in 51 countries. Each stitch carries a personal story, creating a powerful symbol of identity, resilience and human connection.
Constructed from 87 panels of burgundy silk dupion, the finished garment weighs 6.8 kilograms and contains an estimated one to 1.5 billion stitches. It holds a Guinness World Record as the world’s largest collaborative embroidery project.
The contributors include refugees, asylum seekers, survivors of war, and women from disadvantaged communities, alongside professional textile artists and first-time embroiderers. The resulting work is both visually breathtaking and deeply moving.
Brisbane has its own connection to the project through the city’s AllThreads embroidery community, who created Australia’s contribution featuring the country’s distinctive landscape, flora and fauna.
Presented by Museum of Brisbane in partnership with Warwick Art Gallery, this is the first time The Red Dress has been shown in Australia.
As Museum of Brisbane CEO and Director Zoe Graham notes, the work brings together the voices and lived experiences of hundreds of people into a single artwork that speaks to shared humanity and the transformative power of storytelling.
Dates: Saturday 25 July – Sunday 13 September 2026
Venue: Museum of Brisbane, Level 3, Brisbane City Hall
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm daily
Admission: Free
Witness one of the most ambitious community art projects ever created. Rich in colour, symbolism and personal histories, The Red Dress is a remarkable example of how art can connect people across cultures and continents.
