Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please: Fashion in Motion
Few fashion innovations have reshaped the way we think about clothing as profoundly as Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please. Launched in 1993, the line distilled Miyake’s lifelong fascination with movement, technology, and ease. The result? Clothing that feels as modern today as it did three decades ago light, sculptural, and effortlessly wearable.
Issey Miyake Crinkle Pants Size M $299.00
A Brief History of a Modern Icon
Pleating is hardly new, but Miyake reimagined the technique with a visionary twist. Instead of pleating fabric and cutting patterns afterward, his team cut and sewed each garment first then pleated the finished piece. This reverse process created precision, consistency, and a resilient structure that became the signature of the Pleats Please line. What could have been a technical experiment instead became a global wardrobe staple.
How It’s Made: The Alchemy of Heat and Structure
The magic happens through a heat-set micro-pleating technique. Lightweight polyester garments are placed between layers of paper and run through a high-temperature press, where the pleats are permanently locked in. The result is a fabric with an almost spring-like memory: wrinkle-proof, shape-retaining, and ready for everyday wear.
How It Moves: Clothing That Lives With You
What sets Pleats Please apart is the way it interacts with the body. The pleats shift and expand with movement, creating a fluid, animated silhouette that changes as you do.
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The fabric stretches comfortably with the body rather than against it.
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The pleats maintain their crisp shape without feeling stiff or delicate.
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The pieces flatter a wide range of bodies, adapting to curves and motion with ease.
The secret is balance: sculptural enough to feel artistic, practical enough to wear daily.
Pleated Long Sleeve Top and Skirt Set
Size M
$629.00
Caring for Pleats Please: The Surprisingly Simple Part
Despite their appearance, Pleats Please pieces are famously low-maintenance.
Washing is straightforward machine-wash cold or hand wash, skip the fabric softener, then reshape the pleats gently and air-dry. No ironing. Ever.
But the real insider tip lies in how you store them:
Issey Miyake Me Rainbow Pleated Prism Top
Size O/S
$189.00
The Roll: A Signature Storage Technique
To keep pleats sharp, Miyake recommends a method that feels almost ritualistic in its simplicity:
roll the garment gently along the line of the pleats.
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Create a loose cylinder (never a tight twist).
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Rolling preserves the pleat direction and prevents gravity from pulling the structure out of shape (a risk with long-term hanging).
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Store the roll on a shelf or in a drawer, giving it space to breathe.
It’s a small gesture that maintains the architectural integrity of the garment and it’s part of why Pleats Please pieces can look new for years.
Discover our range of Issey Miyake pieces via our website or in store!
Photography: Kimberley Meyers
Model: Brenda Bardinet
