Photographer Marty Gottlieb Puts The Spotlight On The Ancient Art Of Pleating

Pleating as an art form in fashion, has unfolded across centuries. From the Egyptian's elaborate garments to the iconic white skirt made famous by Marylin Monroe to the modern interpretation of the technique by Tom's Sons International in New York City. Learn more at www.internationalpleating.com.

Enter fashion photographer Marty Gottlieb, an MIT grad who will be photographing product from Tom's Sons International's archives in December 2021, over 40 years of timeless fashion.

"I have always been fascinated by how pleats can accentuate a woman's figure and add a new level of extreme elegance. But to truly achieve that is both art and engineering. I'm honored to be able to capture these images" said photographer Gottlieb from his studio in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Although no one is certain how the Egyptians pleated their garments, the technique was used to define tunics of the upper class on fabrics such as linen. From there, pleats went on to decorate the collars of 16th century royals. Fast forward 400 years and pleating has become a prominent element across contemporary haute-couture houses such as with Chanel, Christian Dior and in the 1980s, Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake.

Since 1931, Tom's Sons International Pleating has been a family-owned fabric and textile pleating business. Their full-service facility is in the heart of New York City's Garment District and offers all aspects of pleating services: from sample development to production.

"Quality is our legacy" says George Kalajian of Tom's International Pleating. "A heritage that we work tirelessly to uphold. Full attention is always paid to even the finest detail. Our family master craftspeople possess the level of artistry and unsurpassed technical design skill, that has been acquired and passed down through five generations of expertise in this industry.

Although they are couture and silk specialists, their craftspeople are highly skilled and experienced in the pleating all textiles, including polyester, silk, lace, cotton, linen, nylon and also leather.

International Pleating goes beyond pleating fabrics. As evident in their family history, they are in the unique position to have a full mastery of textiles (weaving, dyeing and finishing), industrial garment construction techniques (cutting, sewing and pressing), technical design and of course, pleating.

Award-winning fashion and fitness photographer Marty Gottlieb was born in New York City. He attended Anne Hutchinson Elementary School and Eastchester High School in Eastchester New York.

Growing up in a working-class suburb five miles from the Bronx, his family was deeply into the arts. Gottlieb's mother had been a singer on radio when she was younger. His father, an engineer, was also a photographer who owned a camera store and photofinishing lab.

Gottlieb got his first camera from his dad when he was five years old along with an endless supply of free film, free flash bulbs, and free overnight developing.

He was 5 years old at the 1964 World's Fair where he saw a twenty-foot-tall T. Rex. Incidentally, the same T-Rex that was immortalized on the cover of Bill Cotter's book Images of America: The 1964-1965 New York's World's Fair. Young Marty borrowed his father's 35mm Pentax, who set the settings and showed him how to focus. It was in this moment Gottlieb realized his passion for photography and demonstrated a keen eye for subject matter.

The house they lived in had an unfinished 2nd floor. He spent much of his childhood helping his father build it into a large family room and woodshop.

From his father he learned how to get great photos from cheap plastic cameras. Gottlieb Senior had taught spies how to take photos during WWII and a lot of those principles applied to teaching an active young boy. He also taught him that it is the photographer, not the camera, that gets the photo "if I gave you Rembrandt's brushes could you paint like Rembrandt?"

Gottlieb's high school art teacher was an important supporter and mentor. She encouraged him to experiment and develop his own style. She told him to just keep working and producing and that eventually he would be successful. She was right.

Gottlieb's big break came while shooting routine headshots for modeling portfolios when he ran into someone well-connected in the fitness world. He shot a series for her that exploded her social media, soon becoming the "it "photographer in the fitness world.

Fast forward to 2020 when Gottlieb became the Official Photographer of the Mr. America Show. His photos have also been featured on television including the Wendy Williams Show.

Gottlieb graduated with Honors from Northeastern University and he is a 4th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo. He owned and ran a Taekwondo school and has taught over 3,500 hours of martial arts classes.

Marty Gottlieb has a B.A. in Art from State University of New York at Binghamton. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University and a Master of Science in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) He supports The Foundation for a Drug Free World. He lives in New York City.