Pleatsmama’s story is one of deep concern over one of today’s most pressing problems: synthetic textile waste — and finding a proactive solution to tackle it, one bag at a time.
Founded in Seoul in 2017 by Jongmi Wang, who had witnessed the systemic discard of textile waste year after year while working in the local knitting and textile industry, Wang began experimenting with zero-waste knitting techniques using recycled yarns.
Soon, the lightweight, practical, and downright cool bags began appearing across Seoul’s urban landscape, and Pleatsmama became a full-fledged brand.
Wang uses only recycled yarns, such as regenerated polyester, nylon, spandex (Creora®), and bio-based spandex. “During my years in the knitting industry, I saw that discarded materials were piling up much faster than new materials were actually needed. That experience really stayed with me,” says Wang. She adds, “Regenerated synthetics are not perfect solutions, and I do not pretend that they are. However, the urgent problem we face today is the huge volume of waste that already exists.”
According to Wang, it is far more responsible to reuse what already exists rather than insist on creating new materials, no matter how innovative they might be. Reusing and repurposing synthetics from discarded PET bottles, fishing nets, and industrial textile waste that would otherwise end up in landfill — taking unknown years to break down and decompose — or be incinerated, releasing toxins into the ecosystem, does contribute to reducing carbon emissions, energy use, and water consumption compared with virgin synthetics. “These yarns are not a final answer, but they are a realistic and important step for the fashion industry to move in a more sustainable direction,” she says.
“The urgent problem we face today is the huge volume of waste that already exists”.
Jongmi Wang, Founder and CEO of Pleatsmama
Needless to say, Pleatsmama operates on a circular and zero-waste model. “Our priority is to design a system that does not create new waste at any stage of production. Because we knit each bag directly from recycled yarn, almost no leftover fabric is generated.” Minimal fabric waste is collected and recycled again for new bags — or eventually back into raw material. Wang is currently collaborating with various recycling technology developers to find the optimal way to recycle discarded yarns into raw materials without losing quality. “For us, each product is not simply a consumable item, but part of a larger platform designed to be repeatedly circulated rather than thrown away.”
If one wonders whether the pleated structure references the traditional Korean craft of pleating fabrics — used in constructing hanbok skirts — the answer is no.
Wang comes across as a modernist, having developed her pleating technique from a strictly functional, almost technical, paradigm. The bags are designed and executed through both a design vision and a careful study of how the pleated structure behaves in motion and with everyday use. After all, a bag is made to carry things.
Pleatsmama’s bags are now sold in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, appealing to both design enthusiasts and circular fashion aficionados. “I hope Pleatsmama will evolve beyond a bag brand into a lifestyle rooted in sustainable materials and responsible production,” says Wang.
Alongside expanding her product range and investing in circularity and material development, Wang plans to enter the European and North American markets, while battling knock-offs of her signature items from both large and small manufacturers. But, as the saying goes, success is when people start copying you. While a design can be replicated and materials imitated, the spirit always shines through. In Pleatsmama’s case, it is the meticulous structure of the pleats that tells the story of continuous effort and an inexhaustible quest for a circular future — where new products actively reduce waste, rather than add to it.
Pleatsmama has also been added to our Vegan Fashion Brands Directory in the latest Directory update. Explore more details here.
All photos courtesy of Pleatsmama