Meet one of the last masters of the traditional art of pleating in France at the Maison du Pli in Paris
Karen Grigorian practises the delicate art of pleating, a tradition that is said to go back as far as the ancient Egyptians, and long practiced in Scottish kilt making. Fashion designers have had a penchant for pleats for decades – think Marilyn Monroe’s white dress in The Seven Year Itch and haute couture designs from the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Issey Miyake. Over time, the traditional art of pleating has been replaced by machines, and Karen’s is the last remaining independent pleat workshop in Paris – and the only one in France not to use a pleating machine.
For the love of pleating
Karen welcomed me into his workshop, Maison du Pli, on the heights of the Belleville neighbourhood in the 19th arrondissement, an area which is a haven for artists. Born in Yerevan, Armenia, he started working as a pleater when he moved to Paris in 1990 He learnt the craft at the workshops of Plissés Garbis and at Gérard Lognon, whose family had been pleaters since 1853. Karen says, “I learned on the job and have been dedicated to the craft ever since.” With no successor to Lognon, the workshop was sold to Chanel, and Karen decided to set up on his own.
His wealth of skills and experience of this unique craft translates creative ideas into wonderfully sculpted and elegantly shaped works of art. He creates moulds from cardboard entirely by hand, and these are used to form the perfectly precise pleats.
Sketches of a design are usually provided by the client, along with their chosen material which ranges from fabric to leather, plastic, bronze and parchment, even sheep and goat skin).
Karen explained the process: “We start by tracing the design on two identical sheets of cardboard, then we trap the material between the sheets.”
The moulds are then clamped between strips of wood and steamed at a low temperature in a home-made oven in the basement until the material takes shape. The moulds are then left to dry completely, and the material is removed showing not the slightest sign of a wrinkle.
Artisanal pleating is very labour-intensive and requires physical strength. Karen works mostly alone, with occasional help from his wife, his sister or one of his children to assemble the larger moulds or pleat the most imposing panels, which can measure up to 3.5 meters long. Days are spent unfolding and closing moulds, where each step is vital, every detail counts and the work demands the artist’s full attention.
“What excites me the most is the creative side of my work. I enjoy being able to interpret my clients’ desires in detail, whilst working with my hands” he says. Fashion houses such as Valentino and Givenchy are amongst his clients, but he also works with architects, interior designers, luxury boutiques, theatres and opera houses as well as artists to create surreal, organic, imaginative, geometric and even whimsical masterpieces.
Karen’s finely pleated fabrics convey a timeless beauty – savoir-faire in action.
See more of Karen’s work on the Maison du Pli Instagram page: maison_du_pli
Jeremy Flint is an award-winning professional photographer and writer specialising in travel, landscape and location photography.
Want more France?
Discover more fabulous destinations in France with our free magazine The Good Life France
Love France? Have a listen to our podcast – everything you want to know about France and more!
All rights reserved. This article may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translated) or redistributed without written permission.
