Pleats Please

Between the pleats Issey Miyake’s iconic line of innovative garments. Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please collections were first launched in 1993. Made from single pieces of high quality 100 per cent polyester fabric, Pleats Please clothing is innovative in its process: the clothes are first cut and sewn together nearly three times larger than the finished garments, then individual pieces are hand fed into a heat press sandwiched between two sheets of paper. From tube dresses to cardigans, skirts, roll-necks, or elastic-waisted pants: the garment emerge with permanent pleats. This industrial process allows both texture and form to be created at the same time. Vertical pleating is used to create varying effects and architectural shapes. Pleats Please clothes are very functional and practical; the garments store easily, travel well, require no ironing, can be machine-washed, and dry within an hour. Shapes are simple, colors diverse (a set of standard colors is available each season, plus seasonal colors and prints). The clothes’ simple beauty, comfort, lightness, and ease of care have changed the way many women all over the world dress. For the first time, the story of this revolutionary clothing is told in a book. A wide array of texts and images explore the fundamental concept of Pleats Please Issey Miyake, tracing its journey from inception, through material development, to public reception, including the making of the original yarn – revealing the pleating process for the first time!