Photos of teachers at Ms Lam Montessori in Brooklyn attracted widespread attention because of their colourful pleated uniforms. Online viewers initially associated the dresses with Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please line.
Head of school Stephanie Woo explained that the clothing is actually made by the more affordable Japanese designer Yamasaki Takashi. She cited comfort, durability, price and understated design as reasons for the choice across the school’s locations.
The Mandarin-immersion organisation began in Taiwan before expanding to Brooklyn. Its unexpected fashion moment illustrates how a practical uniform decision can acquire a different meaning online, where visual similarities encouraged a designer attribution that the school then clarified. The dresses are not presented as official Issey Miyake uniforms.
