A Full Circle Pleats Please Moment
From one NYC location to another.
This newsletter is brought to you by Pleats Please Issey Miyake, a brand that I’ve loved for years and could not be more proud to have sponsor. A true dream come true for me!
One of my first attempts at getting a job in the fashion industry was when I replied to a Craigslist post seeking sales associates at Pleats Please Issey Miyake. I had just moved back to New York City after spending a year in Boston doing research at Massachusetts General Hospital. Like so many other immigrant kids, I was relentlessly told (read: ordered) to become a doctor and I was at a point where all I had to do was apply to medical school. Facing a lifetime in a career I knew I didn’t want, I immediately balked, instead making the most terrifying, yet in hindsight the best, decision of my life. First, I had to break the news to my parents that not only was I making a hard pivot but I also was moving in with my boyfriend (now husband). You can only imagine their reaction. And second, knowing that I’d be on my own financially to figure it all out, I needed a job. Enter the interview at Pleats Please.
Perched on a tiny stool in the basement of their SoHo location, I absolutely bombed the interview. In retrospect, I knew nothing about the brand, beyond the fact that I thought their pieces were cool and completely out of my budget. Also, I had zero retail experience. But you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take right? Obviously I didn’t get the job and it was just one of many rejections that came my way. And so I kept on plugging away, intent on landing myself that elusive first job in editorial. Of course, I managed to get said gig and made a career out of it. Eventually I was finally able to afford Pleats Please and slowly started to amass a collection. And not only that, I was also working with the brand as editor, incorporating the pieces into shoots I was styling, attending and covering their shows, and writing about all of their happenings. So, this newsletter is a full circle moment for me as they shuttered the old space on Prince Street in favor of their shiny new flagship on 14 Kenmare Street. One way or another, I wormed my way into a place in the Pleats Please ecosystem!
The new space is on the ground floor of architect Tadao Ando’s first building New York and his first residential building outside of Asia. It’s fitting since Ando is the creative mind behind 21_21 Design Sight, the Issey Miyake founded art museum in Tokyo. Inside, the store was designed by Japanese design firm MOMENT. Spanning 2,224 square feet, the interiors are, as you’d expect, modern and industrial with shiny steel plates and paneled walls made with white molded resin that nods to the pleats you’d find in the pieces. Accented with rough concrete walls and glossy and milk white surfaces, it’s a juxtaposition of everything that I love in design — severe, clean, and yet extremely calming to my eye. Also, the seating? Chef’s kiss. The stools by the cash wrap alone were so elegant and functional that it took all of my willpower not to walk away with one.
For those not familiar with the history of the brand, here’s a brief rundown: Pleats Please started in 1994 but is a callback to what the brand did in 1988 in terms of fabric innovation. The copyrighted technique involves first sewing each garment before they are folded, ironed, and finished in a heat press to get their signature pleats. As a result, they’re lightweight machine-washable, and wrinkle proof. I love them for travel — you can crumple them up in your suitcase and they’re absolutely perfect. For that reason alone, I also like to wear them on the plane as an alternative to sweatpants. In the summer they make for great swimsuit coverups in addition to being airy enough for even the sweatiest of days. Given the array of colors that can be mixed and matched, you could easily assemble an entire’s rainbow’s worth of pieces although certain prints and patterns are definitely collectors items. More on that later, because the store has some exclusives that are sooooo good.
And finally, a quick breakdown on sizing. You’ll notice that it’s numerical, ranging from 1 to 5. I used to think, incorrectly, that it corresponded to your standard XS to XL. Not the case! The only difference between a 1 and a 5, is the length of the garment. If you’re a shortie like me, anything from a 1-3 will be fine whereas tall people will want to go towards the end of the scale. All pieces are designed to stretch horizontally to accommodate a variety of body shapes, so it’s truly something that can work for a lifetime.
I was lucky enough to preview the store the day before it opened and try on some pieces that caught my eye. Besides one exclusive collection, everything else is shoppable online here. Let’s get into what I loved, although if I were being truly honest, the answer is always: EVERYTHING.
In honor of the new space, there’s an exclusive collection called Soil & Leaf. At the moment it’s exclusive to the store but it’ll be available to buy online in a few weeks. Like the name implies, the palette calls to mind earthy tones with shades of brown, gray, green, and yellow. But before you write this off as being too muddy and dull, the silhouettes are going to throw you for a loop. I call this the hot girl collection because there are crop tops and minis in the line — pieces you don’t normally associate with the brand. And when I say crop tops, I mean they’re cut to reveal plenty of skin, even if you’re the type to wear them with high-waisted bottoms. That’s not a bad thing in the slightest because that means they’re great layering pieces that can be used for creative color blocking or even thrown over a button up. As for the minis, they look amazing over the longer skirts or even jeans. Of course, if you’d rather wear something with more coverage, there are also longer tops and bottoms as well as dresses in this capsule. But I personally was immediately drawn to the minis.
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, I’m in color. Pleats Please is one of the only brands that would get me out of head-to-toe black and into saturated hues. Normally I’d do at least one black piece but I loved the combo of green and yellow worn together, especially for when the weather warm up. And besides, I do have some black on in the form of Tabis. This is the long sleeve top and miniskirt, both in size 1 since I’m short. It’s such a nice experience to have pieces hit where they’re supposed to! Also, I discovered about halfway through trying it on that there are pockets in the skirt. Extremely helpful. As much as I love my weird shapes, occasionally it’s fun to go against type in combinations like this.
But if we’re being realistic, this hoodie and trouser combo in black is much more my speed. For those who travel and shudder at the thought of being in a standard sweatsuit, consider this as an avant-garde take on everyone’s favorite airport look. The pants are your standard wide-legged Pleats Please design, made for comfort and always a perennial staple that never goes out of style. As for the top, you can zip it from the top or bottom. I’m into the idea of wearing it with the bottom unzipped with high-waisted trousers or a skirt to reveal more skin — a sexy hoodie if you will. To note: I loved this photo because it happens to highlight the design of the space. This was taken on the cushioned seating area near the mirrored dressing rooms. The strip of light built into the wall? Such a cool effect. I wish this was a corner in my apartment.
I joke that this is my cult leader outfit but I sorta feel like if I were to lead a cult, we’d naturally all wear Pleats Please right? The white dress features checkerboard textured squares that give it a satisfying tactile detail. I gravitated towards this shade at first but it’s also available in a blue hue. Originally I planned to wear the dress with a matching bolero but given its sheerness, it actually makes more sense to layer over tonal trousers and let my black bralette show. One of the reasons I talk about Pleats Please so much on my newsletter is the fact that it’s so adaptable depending on your tastes. Someone else might take the sheer dress and pair it with a turtleneck for modesty while others prefer to have visible skin. As for me? If I didn’t feel like being your cult leader, I’d keep the black bra, add on black shorts and embrace the peekaboo effect.
Speaking of layering, here’s the mini skirt again, this time in pale green. As a flash of color to break up the black and gray, it reinforces the fact that everything can and should be mixed and matched. In fact the team encourages it — after all that’s how Pleats Please likes to style their look books, as a clash of colors and shapes. I call this my mint chocolate chip outfit and even though I find the ice cream absolutely disgusting (sorry, it tastes like toothpaste to me!), the color palette is so soothing and perfect. Maybe someone else can suggest a better name for this scheme?
And finally, here’s what I wore to the opening party. It was a soggy night and boy was I glad that to wear something that wouldn’t remotely touch the floor. This is the darkest shade in the Soil & Leaf collection — not quite black but also not not black you know? Originally I planned on tights and Simone Rocha platforms but once I tried it on, it felt too fussy. When in doubt, Tabis are always the answer, although I couldn’t help but add a deep lip, just to give it some nighttime flair.
By the time you’re reading this, the store is officially open to the public and you can also shop most of the stock online, if you’re not in New York City. Given that pieces sell out on the regular, my bet is that the Soil.& Leaf line won’t last very long, especially since the mini is a new silhouette. Of course, it’ll be available in a few weeks online and I’ll let you know when! Regardless, I’m excited to see how others style these designs since the family of Pleats Please lovers really does run the gamut. Oh, and if you want a good restaurant rec for after your shopping sojourn, down the block is Saito, home to the tuna rib. Take the clam, scrape the meat off the bone, and you’ll have a perfect bite. Honestly, that sounds like my perfect late afternoon — shopping and an early dinner.
One last note: it bears repeating that I’m super super thankful to the Pleats Please team for sponsoring this because this newsletter is partially the result of my love for the brand. And for timing, it’s fitting since my birthday is on Monday. It couldn’t be a better present to work with them and to have you all read it. So thank you all as well! I always make it a point to work with brands in a very organic, genuine way and this is probably the best example of it. With this, my 2024 has peaked but of course, I’ll be back next week with another topic that I love to yammer about: ski style. See you then!
Diana, you are Issey Miyake American Ambassador. Thank you.
Based on your advice a few years ago you gave me fabulous advice about the fit. ..My mom bought me the green thicker bottoms and that was her last gift to me. She was a lively 96 year old from Staten Island .
Since then, I've bought a few pieces when I can afford. And, your post inspired me to buy 2 cardigans.
Issey Miyake is a fabulous brand for people like me who live in the countryside with 5 Japanese Chin dogs who shed hair everyday. My lssey Miyake pants and tops never catch hair. And , great for travel, going to market, or our local liquor store. Or a walk in the woods.
Cheers and Gratitude
Sign me up for the pleats please cult!