Plissée

Pleats are multiple folds introduced to a garment to make it visually distinct by adding volume and movement. The earliest examples of pleating can be found on linen robes traced back to ancient Egypt. The traditional art of pleating involves gathering and securing numerous folds on a piece of fabric by pressure, temperature and steam. The term Plissée itself originates from the French word pli, for pleat, derived from plier, to fold. Plissée originally referred to a fabric that was woven or gathered into pleats. It is also widely known as crinkle crêpe.

From the mid-sixteenth century until the middle of the seventeenth, prominent figures such as Mary Stewart and members of the renowned Medici family helped establish the popularity of the elaborate pleated neck ruff, which formed part of an ornate clothing ensemble. This extravagant style marked the upper echelons of European society, although pleated collars also started appearing in traditional costumes by the eighteenth century. At the end of the nineteenth century, individually folded cardboard moulds came into use for pleating. With the onset of the industrial revolution, the first pleating machines were introduced to the market, making pleated fabrics and garments widely available and more affordable. Since 1990, computer-controlled pleating machines have been used to fabricate pleats of different sizes. Today, the preferred fabric for pleating is lightweight with a crinkled, puckered surface that can be shaped into ridges or stripes. The traditional practice of adding continuous folds to clothing remains a part of our everyday wardrobe.

In Germany only a few studios remain committed to the traditional craft of pleating. One of them is the Gießmannpleating workshop in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district. Producing both hand- and machine-made pleats, the family firm is managed by Sigrid Gießmann and her daughter Stefanie John. Their clients include several haute couture and fashion companies as well as over three hundred opera houses, theatres, and film studios from all over Europe. To feature the pleating technique, made/in collaborated with the Gießmann atelier to create two striking garments working with traditional craft practices.

Photos by Astrid Grosser