Any seasoned wearer will be more than familiar with the defining qualities – and joy! – that a creation from the brand can bring. Each garment is like a work of art, carefully pleated using unique, dedicated craftsmanship developed over several decades. Like a form of expression, the pleats – made using over three times the amount of cloth as the size of the final garment – breathe, stretch and oscillate as the fabric moves.
The zig zags also create shadows and give more depth to the fabric, adding an extra dimension to otherwise simple pieces. The definition of versatile and low maintenance, these clothes are machine-washable and won’t wrinkle, meaning they will curl up into a suitcase and unfurl like a flower in a new destination, with no steaming necessary. “‘Pleats please.
’ That was my thought whenever I met anyone. I was thrilled by the birth of such wonderful clothes,” the late Midori Kitamura – Issey Miyake’s longtime collaborator – wrote in Taschen’s special book on the origins of the brand, which was established in 1993 after years of pivotal research. “Pleats Please are clothes designed to suit the needs and style of every woman,” she muses.
“They are valued not only for their beauty but also for their practicality. The clothes continue to be as popular today partly due to the fact that they project an air of authority suitable to any occasion, whether special, everyday or for travel”. “Our beliefs and practices in design and maki.
