Anya Taylor-Joy Puts a Minimalist Spin on Pleats

Elaborate pleating is often thought of as a grandiose sartorial statement. With all its dimension and intricate detailing, there’s an expectation that an outfit with folds all over must be frothy and full of volume. But pleats can also be understated, stripped-down and subtly sexy. Just ask Anya Taylor-Joy.

The actor is currently in London promoting her upcoming Apple TV series Lucky, in which she stars as a chameleonic con artist on the run. While doing press on July 9, she stepped out in an ivory dress by New-York-City-based brand Fforme that perfectly embodied the complexity of the textured motif. The fitted design, from the brand’s spring 2026 collection, was replete with micro-creases that molded onto her body and moved with her as she walked. Delicate hand-encrusted lace lined the neckline, while the lightweight satin fabrication had a slightly sheer finish. She grounded the polished look with an effortless updo, off-white heels and a pearlescent manicure.

Taylor-Joy’s pared-down take on pleating feels particularly apt against the backdrop of couture week, where intricate folds and ultra-fine creasing have appeared all over the runways. At Dior, Jonathan Anderson presented metallic iterations of the trend. Balenciaga debuted an evening dress with folded gauzy black fabric. And Iris Van Herpen, known for blending technical artistry with otherworldly visuals, presented pleats through floating capes and larger-than-life gowns. Amidst fashion’s fixation on theatrical, more-is-more folds, leave it to Taylor-Joy to put a dark-horse rendition on the look. Her body-clinging Fforme piece is reminiscent of lingerie-dressing, not unlike the Tom Ford slip she wore a day earlier.

For her upcoming role in Lucky (which premieres on July 15), unexpected pleating is arguably the ultimate world-building choice. Taylor-Joy has described her on-screen counterpart as someone who is messy, panicked and often running for her life—in other words, imperfect. “I was excited to play somebody who was complex,” she said in an interview on July 9. Aesthetically speaking, pleats are the best way to express that.