Museum of Brisbane: The Red Dress

In an exciting first, The Red Dress – a global collaborative embroidery project – is being exhibited at Museum of Brisbane as part of its Australian tour, bringing with it a powerful collection of stories stitched from around the world.

Conceived by British artist Kirstie Macleod, pieces of the remarkable dress spent 14 years travelling the globe, evolving as hundreds of contributors added their own intricate embroidery.

Crafted from 87 panels of rich burgundy silk dupion, the now-complete dress features work from 380 embroiderers from 51 countries, with each section offering a glimpse into personal histories and lived experience. Contributors include refugees, asylum seekers, survivors of war and disadvantaged women across the globe – with all commissioned embroiderers compensated.

Up close, the scale is striking – with an estimated 1–1.5 billion stitches, the 6.8kg dress has earned a Guinness World Records title for the largest collaborative embroidery project. A contribution by Brisbane’s Allthreads community adds a local layer, making this an unmissable chance to see the detail and stories stitched into every inch.