The Red Dress Project
From may 20-24 may 2026, a unique international project comes to town: The Red Dress project by English artist Kirstie Mcleod. The dress will be on display in Museum Flehite during opening hours in room 3.
This embroidery project is a wonderful example of how textiles can connect. It is about endurance and love of handiwork. It is a real crowd pleaser and now on display in the Netherlands for the first time.
Kirstie Mcleod herself will also be present during the Textile Festival, giving two workshops ("Simple Stitches" and Lambani embroidery from India) at the Volmolen.
The Red Dress Project was initiated by British artist Kristie Mcleod, created over a 14-year period between 2009-2023. It was contributed to by 380 individuals (367 women/girls, 11 men/boys and 2 non-binary artists) from 51 countries. A stunning achievement that resulted in the dress's inclusion in the 2026 Guinness World Records.
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From may 20-24 may 2026, a unique international project comes to town: The Red Dress project by English artist Kirstie Mcleod. The dress will be on display in Museum Flehite during opening hours in room 3.
This embroidery project is a wonderful example of how textiles can connect. It is about endurance and love of handiwork. It is a real crowd pleaser and now on display in the Netherlands for the first time.
Kirstie Mcleod herself will also be present during the Textile Festival, giving two workshops ("Simple Stitches" and Lambani embroidery from India) at the Volmolen.
The Red Dress Project was initiated by British artist Kristie Mcleod, created over a 14-year period between 2009-2023. It was contributed to by 380 individuals (367 women/girls, 11 men/boys and 2 non-binary artists) from 51 countries. A stunning achievement that resulted in the inclusion of the dress in the Guinness World Records 2026.
Panels of the dress and later the completed garment traveled to craft communities and individuals on six continents, from remote rural areas to bustling cities to work on it. This created an interwoven map of the human experience, subtly and boldly expressed in the striking burgundy dupion silk.
The embroiderers of the dress include women refugees from Palestine, Syria and Ukraine, women seeking asylum in the United Kingdom from Iran, Iraq, China, Nigeria and Namibia, survivors of wars in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda and Congo, impoverished and underprivileged women in South Africa, Mexico and Egypt, persons from Kenya, Japan, Turkey, Jamaica, Sweden, Peru, Czech Republic, Dubai, Afghanistan, Australia, Argentina, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Tobago, Vietnam, Estonia, US, Russia, Pakistan, Wales, Colombia and England, students from Montenegro, Brazil, Malta, Singapore, Eritrea, Norway, Poland, Finland, Ireland, Romania and Hong Kong, as well as artisans from embroidery studios in India and Saudi Arabia.
The presentation of The Red Dress Project at Museum Flehite was made possible in part by De Katoendrukkerij, the Stichting Vrienden van de Volmolen, the Municipality of Amersfoort and the Entrepreneurs Binnenstad Amersfoort.