A Brooklyn Montessori preschool chain recently experienced an unexpected viral moment on social media after internet users spotted striking photos of its teachers wearing vibrant raspberry, cobalt, and apple green dresses in plissé fabric. Commenters on Reddit and X questioned why staff at Ms Lam Montessori appeared to be wearing high-end Issey Miyake Pleats Please frocks while interacting with young children and blond wood toys, prompting millions of views and amused commentary about Brooklyn aesthetics.
Stephanie Woo, the head of school for Ms Lam Montessori, clarified the origin of the garments. While Woo herself is a fan of Issey Miyake and occasionally wears authentic pieces for special school events, the everyday teacher uniforms are actually created by a more affordable Japanese designer named Yamasaki Takashi. The dresses cost approximately a tenth of the price of an authentic Issey Miyake piece and are worn across all locations of the Mandarin immersion school.
Ms Lam Montessori was originally founded in Taipei, Taiwan, where it operates 14 branches alongside its five Brooklyn locations. According to Woo, the idea to use the pleated outfits came from her mother, the original Ms Lam and the pioneer of Montessori education in Taiwan. Staff members in Taiwan have worn the style for 12 years, while teachers in Brooklyn have worn them for eight years.
Woo explained that the choice was driven by practicality rather than fashion clout. The garments are noted for their comfort, durability, and ease of maintenance, holding their color and shape remarkably well even after frequent washing. Furthermore, the standardized outfits serve a functional purpose for young children aged one to six, helping them easily identify campus adults who can assist them.
The internet fascination aligned with a broader contemporary fashion resurgence for pleated garments. Issey Miyake launched its innovative near-permanent pleating technique in the late 1980s, creating clothes flat at a larger scale before heat-pleating them into shape. The brand and its Pleats Please diffusion line have long maintained a dedicated following among creative and accomplished figures.
Fashion experts noted that the adoption of such distinct aesthetics carries different cultural contexts across regions. While viewers in Western cities viewed the Montessori photos through the lens of local creative subcultures, fashion scholars pointed out that East Asian markets maintain a deep, historically rooted admiration for pioneering Japanese designers like Issey Miyake, who first broke into European fashion capitals in the 1970s.