The Red Dress: Conversations In Stitch, Kirstie Macleod

The Red Dress: Conversations in Stitch is a moving embroidery-led chronicle of a 14-year global collaboration—a singular silk dupion dress that became a vessel for voice, memory, and cross-cultural storytelling. Beginning in 2009, this dress was embroidered by 380 contributors across 51 countries, generating over a billion stitches that carry the weight of identity, resilience, and creative communion. The book brings these stories to life with embroidered panels, intimate narratives from embroiderers, and commissioned essays exploring themes of empowerment, healing trauma, and community building.

More than documentation, this book is both celebration and critical exploration. Alongside compelling personal accounts, the volume includes reflections by Kirstie Macleod, insightful essays, and behind-the-scenes perspectives on the dress’s exhibitions and impact—from solidarity events to appearances in political arenas and festivals. The publication also honours the future by channeling royalties into the Red Dress Artisan Fund, sustaining the artists who contributed to this collective statement of stitched humanity.

About the Author
Kirstie Macleod is a British textile artist who conceived the project and stewarded its global journey. With a background in fine art, costume, and embroidery, she wove the dress as both performance and archive—tracing it through exhibitions, political dialogues, and creative networks. In the book, her personal narratives and artistic vision guide readers through how cloth became voice, global collaboration, and quiet revolution.

Publication date: 2025
Publisher: Quickthorn Books
Pages: 112
ISBN: 9781739316082