The Social Studio: ‘Moon of My Heart’ Afghan Embroidery Collection

This collection was a vehicle for storytelling, social connection and opportunity. Through our community arts work, The Social Studio (TSS) encountered a community of newly-arrived Afghan women with lifelong skills in hand embroidery but no formal work experience. The project was designed to be an opportunity for the women to learn about Australian workplace culture and have their embroidery skills valued beyond the domestic sphere, while also sharing the story of traditional Afghan embroidery with a wider audience. Using donated deadstock linen bedding and end-of-roll off-cuts of rib jersey and denim, the collection was made entirely with excess textiles.

Eight women, selected through South East Community Links, collaborated with The Social Studio on embroidered pieces for the opening runway of Melbourne Fashion Week 2023. A bi-cultural worker supported communication throughout. Instead of traditional motifs, the women explored animals, items, and feelings tied to their homeland. Meanwhile, TSS’s manufacturing team repurposed deadstock and donated fabrics into garments and accessories for embroidery—shirts and pants from bed linen, skirts and tanks from jersey off-cuts, and denim into accessories. The result is a heartfelt collection that weaves together memory, creativity, and cultural identity, telling a powerful story of collaboration, love, and longing.

This project shows how fashion and textiles can hold deep social meaning for both maker and wearer. The embroiderers, in their first-ever paid roles, gained confidence, shared memories of home, and saw their domestic skills valued publicly. It also supported The Social Studio’s refugee and migrant makers, retail, and training efforts. Environmentally, the collection minimised waste by using deadstock and donated materials—ribbed pieces from ABMT samples, striped sets from deadstock bed linen, and patchworked denim from Nobody Denim. Together, these efforts highlight fashion’s potential to empower communities while promoting sustainability and storytelling through craft.

This project places social impact at its core, showcasing the talents of Melbourne’s refugee communities—particularly women with limited access to the city’s creative industries. Built on trust, community partnerships, and respect for traditional craft, it celebrates embroidery as a powerful tool for cultural expression and social connection, while producing garments with wide appeal. Each piece tells a story: Linen shirt and trousers: featuring canaries and the gul-e-sap (apple blossom), a hallmark of Hazara embroidery. Rib set: includes poetry in Dari and English, a winking eye, the lala flower of Jaghori, and a bleeding heart. Denim bucket hats: display the delicate gulab rose motif once sewn into handkerchiefs gifted to husbands. Slip dresses: highlight dried fruits—cherries, apricots, apples, grapes, and figs—essential to Afghan winters and Nowruz celebrations, where they are used in the traditional haft mewa dish. Together, these pieces reflect a powerful blend of tradition, memory, and creativity—empowering makers and connecting cultures through design.