Credit: Lacoste
Among the most popular processes of the latest collections, pleating applied to leather has earned a leading role. Versatile and effective, today it is used more and more often both in clothing and accessories. To better understand the different techniques, we spoke with Filippo Orefice of Piegavelox, a company specialized in embroidery and pleating for the fashion industry.
CARDBOARD PLEATED
Louis Vuitton renews the classic midi skirt by adding a contemporary twist: made of lambskin, this version is obtained with the soleil cardboard pleating technique. In practice, the leather is inserted between two panels of shaped cardboard, then closed and put in the oven, so that the heat fixes the fold permanently. This process is ideal for creating pleats that gradually widen from the waist towards the bottom.
FAKE PLEATED
From the Lacoste FW24 catwalk comes Lengen, a hobo bag that pays homage to the world of tennis, so dear to the brand. The lining, inspired by the classic skirt, is not actually pleated. It is a manual process that simulates the effect of the cannon: the leather is cut into strips, folded and sewn with a leather goods machine. A choice made necessary by the thickness of the material, which does not allow the use of cardboard folding.
PLISSÉ ORGANETTO
Giorgio Armani also focuses on pleating, this time in footwear, applying it to his décolleté shoes. In this case it is the plissé organetto technique, characterized by round and dense folds distributed over the entire surface. To obtain a uniform result it is essential to use very thin leather, with a thickness of less than half a millimeter. The shape is then fixed by hot pressing, at a temperature between 150 and 160 degrees.
