What are Issey Miyake pleats called?

What Issey Miyake pleats are called is Please Pleats. Though long a staple in couture — from delicate women’s skirts to men’s suit pants — pleats took on new life in Miyake’s hands. By using a heat press to cure his fabrics after his garments were stitched, Miyake was able to maintain the accordion structure of the pleat, turning a series of folds into sculptural, often futuristic forms unbound by the shape of the human body. In 1993, Miyake debuted “garment pleating” in his Pleats Please line, in which the clothes are constructed at a size larger than what is intended for the finished product. The pleats are then created — a process that involves folding and ironing and is separate from the joining of seams — and individual pieces are subsequently hand-fed into a heat press. The pleats are permanent, and the garments can be worn and washed without losing their shape. Miyake’s pleats run the gamut in scale, which enabled him to conjure dramatic, sharp silhouettes and flowy movements in equal measure. In essence, he created an entirely new material with infinite iterations — a feat of technology as much as fashion. Explore a range of Issey Miyake apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.