16 JULY - 22 JULY 2026 THE GROVE GALLERY
THE RED DRESS CREATED BY KIRSTIE MACLEOD
A major international arts project will make its long-awaited Australian debut in 2026, with the globally acclaimed The Red Dress set to be displayed exclusively at two Queensland venues.
The Red Dress is a 14-year, award-winning global embroidery project that has connected communities across continents. Conceived by British artist Kirstie Macleod in 2009, the project provides an artistic platform for individuals — particularly women and those living in vulnerable circumstances — to share their stories through stitch.
Constructed from 87 panels of burgundy silk dupion, The Red Dress has been embroidered by 380 contributors — including 367 women and girls, 11 men and boys, and two non-binary artists — from 51 countries. The project has earned a place in the Guinness World Records (2026 edition) as the largest collaborative embroidery project in the world.
Each stitch tells a story: panels worked by refugees from Ukraine and Syria, artists from rural Africa, and community stitch groups in Australia speak to global and local experiences of displacement, identity and reconciliation. It is a rare work where craft becomes narrative, and garment becomes voice.
The project’s ethical framework has also drawn attention. Rather than rely on unpaid contributions, The Red Dress ensured that all commissioned embroiderers were compensated, a model that foregrounds dignity and economic participation in a craft sector historically undervalued.
Twenty-two women from the All Threads community in Brisbane contributed to one of the dress panels — yet none have seen the completed garment in person. The 2026 exhibition will be an emotional and historic homecoming for these contributors.
Janelle Byrne, Vice President of the Queensland Women's Historical Association, and Kerryn Lightfoot, Owner of All Threads Embroidery, have launched a major fundraising campaign to bring Kirstie Macleod and her extraordinary collaborative artwork to Australia for the first time. Funds raised will support the return flights of Kirstie Macleod and The Red Dress from London to Brisbane, accommodation costs, and the delivery of a dynamic public program. Donate here
Warwick Art Gallery will proudly host The Red Dress for one week only as part of their programming for Warwick’s Jumpers and Jazz in July festival 2026.
The Red Dress also incorporates Lambani embroidery gathered by Macleod during her travels in southern India in 2002 — a formative experience that inspired the project’s creation. Stitching alongside Lambani women without a shared language, Macleod discovered the universal power of embroidery as a form of communication and solidarity.
The Red Dress will be at Warwick Art Gallery for one week only 16 July to 22 July 2026.
Public Programs:
