The Unity Dress
Market Hall Museum now has a new dress on display.
The dress was the highlight of a fashion show to celebrate Refugee Week, 17th to 23rd June 2024. It was created as part of a project led by local fashion designer - Libby Esler, the founder of Art Lab.
Libby worked with refugees and asylum seekers across Warwickshire. Through sewing workshops, participants worked in partnership to design and make a fashion piece. This special dress brings together the creativity and experience of people from different cultures and backgrounds as a symbol of unity and collaboration.
The dress was the highlight of a fashion show, organised to celebrate the project, at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon. Over 100 people attended the event and the dress was modelled by Yuliia, a Ukranian who now works for the Homes for Ukraine Team at Warwickshire County Council.
The Project
The project theme for Refugee Week in 2024 was ‘Home’ and the workshops focused on resettled residents in Warwickshire creating clothing inspired by the designs from their home countries.
Libby Easler, says:
Growing a garden requires sunshine, nurturing, and care. As it flourishes and blooms into a beautiful, blossoming oasis, we can all appreciate and enjoy its stunning beauty. This dress has been crafted by 28 women, 2 men, and 4 children, traveling through Stratford-upon-Avon, Dunchurch, and Leamington Spa.
Asylum seekers and refugees from 13 different countries, many not speaking the same language, worked side by side to create this beautiful garment. Their efforts have brought focus and joy to many, resulting in over 350 paper and 200 fabric flowers.’
Quote from Yuliia:
Wearing the collaborative dress was an incredibly emotional experience. I felt deeply blessed and on an emotional high, as if I was carrying the hopes and dreams of resettled people with me. Each part of the dress represented their journeys and aspirations. Walking in the fashion show, I felt proud to show the strength and beauty of these people who have started new lives. The dress is a symbol of their courage and hope. It is a powerful reminder that the beauty is in coming together and completing one another.
