Latest news with #PleatsPlease
Vogue
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Issey Miyake's Pleats Please Makes Maternity Dressing a Delight
In the real world, most of the women with a penchant for Pleats Please that I speak to began with the brand's straight leg trousers and the tank dresses during their pregnancies. Many didn't buy specific maternity-wear, and were determined to keep true to their own sense of style. Merle Carlet, a Berlin-based creative director, bought a set of straight leg black Pleats pants in her first trimester, then, a wider set of beige pants, and a Homme Plissé t-shirt. She wears her pants and the Madame T with chunky jewelry from Uncommon Matters, The Row sock slippers, and a Bottega Veneta Jodie bag. 'An outfit you put together yesterday may not fit tomorrow,' Carlet says. 'I'm not able to wear anything like the usual pregnancy looks: I'm not a dress girl, no floral prints…I didn't want to buy things that I will only wear during pregnancy.' Pleats Please stretches itself to all of a pregnant person's priorities. It is soft and comfortable, machine washable and easydrying, and grows with the belly. London-based editor and writer Liv Siddall wore a coral, sleeveless and high-necked dress to a wedding when she was seven months pregnant and 'absolutely enormous.' 'There are so many aspects of the world that enrage and frustrate you during pregnancy, but the lack of chic or interesting maternity wear available is extraordinary,' she says. 'The fun thing about this is that you have to really use your brain as to what will work on your growing shape.' 'Often, people just look at your belly and see you as a pregnant woman, rather than a woman in your own right,' says Siddall. 'This Issey dress was like a big orange beacon that proclaimed to the world that I had a personality, an independent person with interests and style, as opposed to just an anonymous vessel carrying a baby.' 'I attended an Amina Muaddi store opening during my pregnancy and wore my A.M X AWGE heels, which have an embellished curb chain ankle strap. I wanted to make sure this was going to be shown, so I tucked the Pleats Pleases trousers into the chain which I think made the outfit!' says Fáizah Akindojuromi, a London-based creative director and producer. 'I love that the lines of the pleats really emphasize the curves of the bump.'
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Woman Thrifts Designer Top for $13, Stunned When She Discovers Retail Value
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A thrift-store fashionista has offered a glimpse of what she believes might be her "craziest" find of recent times. Roms Mason, from London in the U.K., took to her TikTok, @relovedwithroms, to reveal the bargain she stumbled upon while browsing the rails of an RSPCA charity shop in Stoke Newington. Mason has a keen eye for spotting designer pieces in thrift stores. and has cultivated a significant following on social media through her love of fashion. "Growing up, I used fashion and clothing as a way to show my personality," Mason told Newsweek. "Obviously, at 13, I didn't have a lot of money, so buying designer items secondhand and for low prices was the only way to build a designer wardrobe." In more-recent times, resale platforms such as Vinted and eBay have given Mason even more of an opportunity to hone her craft and eye for a good bargain. "My recent best finds are a Prada bag for £20 on Vinted and a Issey Miyake Pleats Please jacket for £20," Mason said. "I also look for brands with distinct quality and styles. I find it quite easy to tell by touch and the feel of a material if it might be something special." The demand for secondhand apparel is on the rise. Statista says that the global secondhand apparel market was estimated to be worth $227 billion in 2024, with that figure forecast to rise to $379 billion by 2027. Videos like the ones Mason shares online are only likely to further increase the number of people heading out to thrift designer bargains. This most-recent find is a prime example of that: a JW Anderson chevron knit top that normally retails for £683 ($922) but was on sale for just £10 ($13) at the RSPCA store. "My wardrobe is quite monochrome, so I tend to look through black and white pieces first and go from there," Mason said. From the moment she laid her hands on it, Mason could tell the top was the real deal. "It's super thick so, as soon as I touched it, I knew it was good quality," she said. However, Mason was shocked when she looked at the label and realized who had designed it. "Jonathan Anderson is one of the most-influential designers of this century; his work with Loewe was revolutionary. I'm chuffed [excited] to own a piece from his personal brand," Mason said. While this kind of thrift-store find might be a surprise to most, Mason said that Stoke Newington is a "creative hub" in London, so it is not a huge shock to find something like this here. As for how the garment ended up there, she said that "it could be anything from an original sample to just someone's unwanted fashion item." Given the disparity between the retail price and what she purchased it for, it would be understandable if Mason chose to sell the top on at a handsome profit, but she is unsure. "It will depend if I wear it or not! I normally keep things for about a year, and if I don't reach for it often, I would sell it on to a more-loving home," Mason said. "However, just because the retail value is £600, that doesn't necessarily mean I'd be able to sell it for anything close to that." Though this does standout as one of her best thrift-store finds of recent times, Mason said she has found even-better bargains. "My best finds overall are probably a Pleats Please dress for £6 or a Christian Dior top for $5 when thrifting in America," she said. "I love to thrift in different countries and places—you never know what you're going to find!" Mason may also be on the lookout for designer goods, but she said she hopes her videos inspire others to realize that "fashion isn't exclusive to the 'wealthy' and is also not limited to designer brands." "Style is so deeply personal," Mason said. "It can reflect your political and ethical beliefs; you also don't need to be wearing 'expensive' or designer clothing to be considered fashionable."
Daily Mirror
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
This is the most elegant style trend for the summer– and you can shop it from £20
Pleats are the season's chicest trend, and we've found where to shop stylish buys from Karen Millen, Monsoon, and more starting from £20 There's a style trend that's taking over this summer, and it's as elegant as it is timeless: pleats. Once reserved for occasionwear, tennis skorts, or school uniforms, pleats have had a major fashion glow-up, thanks to designers like Issey Miyake, who famously turned the technique into a sculptural art form with his Pleats Please collection. This season, pleats are everywhere, from floaty midi skirts to structured trousers and even breezy summer dresses. They're a chic, easy-to-wear trend that looks good with just about everything and is so comfy. They look just as cool styled with sandals and a white t-shirt as they do dressed up with heels for a party. And the best part? You don't need a designer budget to get the look. We've found the most flattering pleated pieces to can shop, starting from £20. KAREN MILLEN If you want to add a little drama to the pleats trend, why not try out this chic cape top from Karen Millen. Available in vibrant red and with matching pleated trousers to match, you'll be standing our from the crowd (in the best way!) with this cool matching set. PHASE EIGHT This halterneck top from Phase Eight is a standout piece thanks to its luxe pleating and exclusive in-house print. Whether worn as a set with the matching trousers for a summer event or dressed down with denim for day-to-night style, this versatile look works for any occasion. JOANNA HOPE Add of a pop of colour to your summer wardrobe with this statement maxi from Joanna Hope. The elasticated waist makes for a comfortable fit, while the detachable belt cinches the silhouette for a flattering shape. With a stylish maxi length, it's a perfect choice for weddings, black-tie events, or summer parties. MONSOON This Sienna Miller-approved maxi dress perfectly fits the current boho trend, filled with delicate floral motifs and its airy silhouette. This dress is equal parts effortless as it is eye-catching, making it ideal for garden parties, brunches, or summer weddings. Simply throw on a pair of platform heels, and you're good to go. H&M Made from a stylish crinkled weave, these H&M trousers feature an elasticated waist for a comfy fit, handy side pockets, and an unfinished edge at the hems for a cool-girl, laid-back vibe. Pair them with sandals and a linen shirt for easy warm-weather dressing.
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
Issey Miyake transforms the Cartier Foundation into living sculpture garden
PARIS -- As Paris wilted under the ruthless June sun, Issey Miyake sent out a battalion of intergalactic fashion soldiers at the Cartier Foundation Thursday, shimmering between art and menswear apparel in a spectacle where even the light was a player. The late-morning sun bounced sharply off the art museum's monumental steel pillars, forcing some guests to slide their seats to escape the dazzling reflections — an impromptu game of musical chairs set to a pulsing, kinetic soundtrack. This Paris Fashion Week season finds the Miyake house in the midst of transition. In January, Paris bid adieu to Homme Plissé — Miyake's pleated cult favorite that had anchored the city's menswear calendar since 2019 — as the brand shifted its focus to nomadic shows, most recently appearing under the Tuscan sun. The torch in Paris has now been passed to IM Men, the last line personally conceived by Issey Miyake before his death in 2022. Thursday's show marked IM Men's return to the Paris stage, under the direction of designers Sen Kawahara, Yuki Itakura, and Nobutaka Kobayashi. The theme, 'Dancing Texture,' nodded to the ceramic artistry of Shoji Kamoda, but also to the surreal choreography on display. Models appeared to roll, tilt, and swing through the light, their movements somewhere between ballet and a slow-motion video game. Occasionally, a guest would squint, unsure if they were watching a runway show or a heat-induced hallucination. The crowd — equal parts Parisian cool, visiting editors, and those for whom a pleated culotte is a spiritual calling — dodged the sun's glare and fanned themselves in the heat, shifting for both comfort and the best sightline. The first model glided out in a mad, angular hat, setting the tone for a parade of tin man-meets-space ninja silhouettes designed for dance floors or distant planets. The clothes themselves looked as if they had been engineered for a new climate — or perhaps a new species. Surfaces peeled, rippled, and shimmered, metallic foils flashed against the sun, and jacquard weaves evoked the carved waves of Kamoda's ceramics. Vermilion and white motifs burst forth alongside a near-neon green, courtesy of upcycled fishing nets. A coat unzipped into a dramatic collar while some blousons and pants, when laid flat, formed perfect circles — a wink at Kamoda's wheel-thrown plates. Miyake, who died in 2022, loomed large over the collection, his vision unmistakable in every engineered pleat and playful transformation. IM Men is the last line he conceived — a living laboratory for innovation, risk, and occasional absurdity, now energetically interpreted by a younger team. Even in his absence, his legacy is alive in every joke, fold, and jolt of surprise on the runway. Born in Hiroshima in 1938, Miyake rose from postwar Japan to become a global force, transforming fashion in the 1980s and '90s with his radical, sculptural vision. He pioneered heat-set pleating and created lines like Pleats Please and A-POC that blurred the boundaries between art, science, and daily life. Miyake's designs liberated fabric, allowing it to move with the body and imagination alike. Of course, the fashion house's embrace of the avant-garde still courts danger. Thursday's spectacle occasionally veered into excess, with kinetic art and sci-fi headgear that threatened to upstage the clothes themselves — a familiar Miyake risk. But the best moments, like a pared-back tangerine overcoat that floated past, proved restraint can sometimes steal the show.
The Guardian
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Issey Miyake brings his revolutionary piece of cloth to Tokyo, 1999
It is rehearsal day for Japanese designer Issey Miyake and the 61-year-old fashion innovator is pumped. This is his first Tokyo fashion show in five years and he's keen to share his new concept in DIY clothing: 'A revolutionary idea called A-POC' – an abbreviation of A Piece of Cloth – writes Tamsan Blanchard in the Observer Magazine on 25 April 1999. 'He has not been so excited about one of his own products since Pleats Please was launched in 1993.' For Miyake's Paris show the previous autumn, an A-POC – a single strip of fabric – was 'transformed into a capsule wardrobe before our very eyes,' gasps Blanchard. 'Lengths of white fabric were laid out on the floor and a small team of assistants set to work with their scissors. A snip here, a snip there and voilà! A pair of knickers… More scissor work and there was a bra top.' A skirt, hat, socks and more besides followed: one piece of fabric, one capsule wardrobe. The message: yes, you can try this at home! 'I'm not interested in selling myself,' Miyake confides, adding that he sometimes observes his customers in the Pleats Please store on London's Brook Street. They are nice people, 'ordinary'. For his part, 'I never tried to be like a superstar or a famous designer. The only thing I wanted was to be very proud of what I'm doing.' He wasn't proud of himself back when 'his clothes were beginning to look more at home in a textiles gallery than on the woman in the street'. Following one Paris show, he realised he'd forgotten the importance of everyday life, so he got himself a rucksack, some underwear and a toothbrush and went to Greece. He hand-washed the underwear, took stock. Three years later, in 1988, functional, affordable Pleats Please was born. The A-POC retails in the UK for £470. Too high, and Miyake knows it. Fashion victims are not his target market. 'I'm not interested in high-maintenance women who take one hour for hair, one hour to dress, one hour for makeup. Disaster!'
