From Stitched Folds to Steam-Set Moulds: How to Read the Pleats of Haute Couture

Haute couture pleats are distinguished by their construction method, primarily stitched into garments or set by hand in heat-activated moulds. Understanding these techniques, from precision stitching to heritage mould-setting by ateliers like Lognon, reveals the artistry behind couture.

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Élise Dubois

October 26, 2026 · 4 min read

Not all pleats are made the same way, and in haute couture the difference is everything. Some folds, such as knife and box pleats, are stitched into a garment as it is sewn; others, including accordion, sunburst and Watteau pleats, are set by hand in a Kraft board mould and fixed with heat rather than thread. Understanding which construction method lies behind a pleat is the key to identifying it, and to appreciating why houses such as the Parisian pleating specialist Atelier Lognon remain indispensable to couture ateliers.

Categorizing Pleating Techniques by Construction Method

The clearest way to organize couture pleating is by how the fold is physically created and held in place. Floriane Schmitt, writing on fabric manipulation, distinguishes between pleats made with a sewing machine, pleats produced by industrial pleating machines, cardboard pleating done entirely by hand, and handmade pleats executed by expert pleaters. FashionUnited journalist Céline Vautard, reporting on Atelier Lognon, adds the crucial detail that the atelier's techniques rely on unique Kraft board moulds, with production processes unchanged since the start of the twentieth century.

Four broad categories emerge from these accounts: pleats stitched into a garment, pleats set in moulds, pleats built from applied elements such as ribbon, and pleats draped directly on the body. The table below places the named pleat styles within that framework.

Comparing Haute Couture Pleating Techniques

Named pleat styles grouped by the construction method that creates them
Technique Category	Construction Method	Named Pleat Examples	Primary Application
Stitched pleats	Fabric is folded and secured with machine stitching, typically at the top, then pressed along the length	Knife, box, inverted box, side, topstitched pleats	Garment construction during sewing; structured, regular folds
Mould-set pleats	Fabric is hand-folded and pressed between Kraft board moulds, then heat-set	Accordion, sunburst, Watteau, Fortuny-inspired pleats	Haute couture and small-scale production; flowing, uniform or radial effects
Applied pleats	Rows of ribbon are sewn onto a base fabric to form pleated surfaces	Ribboned pleats	Textile embellishment and bouncy silhouettes, as at Dior haute couture
Draped pleats	Folds are pinned directly on a mannequin and then stitched in place	The pleated drapery associated with Madame Grès	Sculptural, organic folds formed on the body or form

The categories are illustrative rather than exhaustive, and some pleat names appear under more than one method: Schmitt lists accordion and sunburst pleats among machine-stitched patterns, while the mould-based evidence from Lognon shows these same effects being achieved through heat-setting. The distinction matters because the finished appearance, and the durability of the fold, depend on which route the maker takes.

Mould-Set Pleats: The Heritage Craft of Atelier Lognon

The second route abandons stitching in favor of pressure and heat. Vautard's report on Atelier Lognon describes a house whose pleats, from flat and coated examples to rounded, flexible and draping versions, are always created with a unique Kraft board mould or pattern. The atelier holds roughly 3,000 moulds in stock, the oldest of which date back to 1900, and the production processes, she writes, have not changed since the start of the twentieth century.

The range of effects this single method produces is remarkable. Vautard's inventory includes accordion pleats, Watteau pleats described as a succession of box pleats flared at the bottom, sunburst pleats set at very close intervals that expand outward, Fortuny pleats inspired by Greek woollen tunics, and cutaway, flower, peacock, pyramid, ribbon and origami pleats. Schmitt confirms that cardboard pleating is completely handmade and reserved for haute couture garments or small-scale production, and that machine pleating, by contrast, can only produce quite regular patterns such as accordion, side and sunburst pleats.

One designer illustrates how mould-set pleating can define an entire aesthetic: Schmitt points to Issey Miyake, whose garments are sewn together three times larger than their final size and then pleated down to the finished dimensions. The pleat, in other words, is not an embellishment applied afterward but the very form of the garment.