Karen Grigorian is our Artisan of the Month!

In this new episode of our Artisan of the Month series, we invite you to discover the world of Karen Grigorian. Introduced to this craft by chance nearly 30 years ago after arriving from Armenia, he is now among the very last master pleaters in France to work entirely by hand. Today, he welcomes us into his atelier.

The trade

Pleating is a traditional craft that transforms fabric, lending it both dimension and movement. Karen does not make the garments himself, he brings couturiers’ visions to life and gives them form. In his atelier, everything starts with hand-folded cardboard moulds. Fabric, leather, synthetic materials, or even fine bronze foil are then slipped inside before being placed into a steam oven to lock the folds in place. It’s a craft of absolute precision, coveted by top designers, where nothing will ever replace the artisan’s touch.

The gesture

Pleating is first and foremost a language of gestures: precise, refined, and passed down from generation to generation. These are movements shaped by technical mastery and the demanding nature of the raw material. Yet beyond the mechanics of the craft, there is Karen’s favorite gesture, the one that gives full meaning to his art: the moment when the fabric emerges from the mould and he discovers that the pleat has set to perfection. Above all, Karen dedicates his craftsmanship to the service of others. A pleater, pure and simple, he follows a singular guiding principle: “My satisfaction is my clients’ pleasure.”

Transmission

Today, there are no schools or formal training programs dedicated to pleating, the craft is learned exclusively through hands-on apprenticeship in the workshop. This is how Karen trained, mastering the secrets of crafting cardboard moulds on his own and through years of workshop experience. Beyond technique, true transmission comes to life when you take a master’s teachings, make them your own, and reinterpret them with a personal voice.