Little Black Beau: Pretty Pleats Please

10 December 2010

Pretty Pleats Please

Designers are being inspired by Fortuny's famous gowns from the early 20th century, using pleats in brightly coloured fabrics and flowy shapes. Pleats are being used in the same way as classic Fortuny dresses as well as some designers modernising the styles, to make them suitable for this season.

Natalia Vodianova in a vintage Fortuny gown.

Stella McCartney used pleating for various looks in her Spring/Summer ready to wear 2010 collection, mixing them with prints, ruffles and modern shapes like one shoulder dresses and deep v tops.

Above, Natalia Vodianova walking in Stella McCartneys spring/summer 2010 show. Natalia sure does love pleated dresses.

More looks from Stellas collection using pleating.

Stella McCartney's whole Spring/Summer 2010 collection can be viewed here.

Other designers are also using pleating in their current collections. Versus used pleating in the majority of their looks for the Autumn/Winter ready to wear 2010/11 collection which all can be viewed here.

Versus satin tuxedo mini dress

Versus pleated satin skirt (Look 1)

Silk satin and chiffon mini dress (Look 4)

Leighton Meester in one of the dresses from Versus Autumn/Winter 2010/11 collection (Look 14)

Leighton Meester wore this dress from the collection 2 weeks ago at a herbal essences event which she is now the ambassador for. I think she looks stunning and it beats her other recent fashion choices by a mile. One of those which happens to be from the same Versus collection, although it didn't have the same effect.

Leighton in look 2 of the collection a few months earlier.

I definitely love the first one more. The cut outs of the second are just a bit much and even though she is tinyy I think it is too short.
But her hair looks nice... good work herbal essences.

Other celebs who also recently wore dresses from this collection include Kim Kardashian in look 29.

I'm not really into this one..the dress doesn't fit her right at all. Just look at the size of the cups! They're like half the size of her actual boobs, so it looks like it doesn't fit and she does not look comfortable. Also I think the velvet looks heavier than normal when put with those dark tights.

Retailers have caught on to this trend and including pleat details on their garments.

UK store Topshop have grabbed onto this trend and included it in various looks.

Grey shimmer pleat skirt babydoll dress by Topshop (AUD $88)