CALICO dress NO. 1
National Waterfront Museum, Swansea, Wales / 2022 – ongoing
Dress launched and initial embroidery circle led by Kirstie and community textile artist Menna Buss at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea, Wales, in 2022 with ongoing activities planned.
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The first 'sister dress' to The Red Dress was unveiled on International Women’s Day in March 2022 as part of an exhibition of The Red Dress at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, Wales, in conjunction with the Swansea Women’s Asylum and Refugee Support Group (The Women’s Group).
The Women’s Group, alongside a handful of exhibition visitors, contributed the final motifs to The Red Dress before its official completion in a moving and uplifting embroidery event. The launch of the Calico Dress No. 1 – known as the Calico Dress Cymru or ‘Gwisg Calico Cymru’ would mark a new beginning in the wider project.
The garment aims to gather women’s voices in the heart of communities at workshops and other occasions. Originally commissioned by the National Waterfront Museum, textile artist and arts educator Menna Buss is now steering the Calico Dress Cymru through Spring and Summer 2025 with a dedicated space within the museum, once housing a steam locomotive!
Menna plans to give the Calico Dress Cymru a reimagined Welsh Folk costume silhouette while keeping it recognisably related to The Red Dress and its sister dresses. It will be added to during open-to-the-public embroidery sessions and through specific engagement activities with community groups from Swansea and beyond.
www.instagram.com/calicodress_cymru/
OUR SUPPORTERS
A huge thank you to all who have given their time, energy, enthusiasm, advice, experience and support to The Red Dress project over the years.
In addition to the organisations below, funding has been gratefully received from a number of private donations and via three crowdfunding campaigns in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
In addition to the organisations below, funding has been gratefully received from a number of private donations and via three crowdfunding campaigns in 2020, 2022 and 2024.












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