It was a real pleasure to able to welcome Kirstie Macleod, creator of The Red Dress, to King’s Bruton.
Pupils and staff had the opportunity to listen to Kirstie talk about her concept, the artisans involved in its creation and the journey she has been on since its inception almost thirteen years ago. Her work engages with the audience by bringing together embroiderers from all corners of the world who have contributed to its growth and success. There have been over 260 embroiderers from 29 different countries. We were all captivated as Kirstie identified individual embroidered segments and relayed the moving context behind each piece of work. The dress is a platform for, mainly women, who have shared their identity, experiences (some harrowing), and cultural heritage. By bringing all these artisans together they have created a unified sense of hope, belonging and ownership to the work, one which is palpable and able to strike an emotional chord on many levels.
Seeing and feeling the dress was an emotive experience as one was able to gain a sense of all the time, energy and stories that have been associated with its creation. With the diverse cultures involved the dress has a powerful, eclectic aesthetic to it, which combines effortlessly to form the most radiant, regal garment. The pupils were certainly inspired by Kirstie’s integrity and determination to not only give these women a voice, but for it to be seen and appreciated by as many people as possible. To look at, it is simply stunning.
Kirsty has been one of the most inspirational artists to come to King’s and we are so grateful that she was able to share her work and life story with us. As The Red Dress moves on to be exhibited both in the UK and across the World, we feel blessed that we have had this wonderful opportunity. We wish Kirstie all the best for the future, and hope to see her back at King’s again soon, where hopefully, she can reach an even wider audience of the local community too.
The King's Bruton Dolphin Editorial Team filmed an interview with Kirstie Macleod, and this will feature exclusively in this year's Dolphin Magazine which will be published at the end of the summer term.
Seamus Harkness - Head of Art