Creative Design · Group 3

Tiered & Layered Skirts

History · Runway trends · Market trends

Sviatlana · Isuh · Cienna · Alexander · Gabriel

Chloé Fall 2026, look 14: periwinkle mousseline dress with gathered tiers and a ruffled hem

Tiered · Chloé, Fall 2026

Valentino Fall 2025, look 58: strapless gown with six rows of gold pleated flounces

Layered · Valentino, Fall 2025

Group 3 · Tiered & layered skirts

Plan

Minoan Snake Goddess figurine from Knossos, c. 1600 BC, in a bell-shaped skirt of overlapping flounces

01

Definition & history

How each skirt is built and where it comes from

Giambattista Valli Spring 2026, look 4: white broderie anglaise dress with a full skirt of gathered tiers

02

Runway trends

Four seasons, Fall 2025 to Spring 2027

H&M peach-pink maxi skirt of gathered tiers with ruched edges

03

Market trends

Same shape, two prices: mass market and luxury

Saint Laurent Spring 2025, look 42: teal lace halter top, rust layered mini skirt over yellow lace, a brocade jacket carried on the arm

04

Conclusion

What we learned

Part 1 · Definition & construction

Tiered skirt

À étages · Peasant · Gypsy

Horizontal bands sewn edge to edge, each gathered onto the one above.

Animation of a tiered skirt being built: three bands, each 1.5 times wider than the one above, are gathered and sewn edge to edge under the waistband; the seams are highlighted, and a side view shows one line of fabric with three seams. Steps listed on the left: cut three bands, gather a band to fit the one above, sew edge to edge.

Part 1 · Definition & construction

Layered skirt

À volants

Overlapping layers: skirts of different lengths on one waistband, or flounces on a base.

Way 1, layers on one waistband: three gathered layers of different lengths are sewn into the waistband, longest underneath and shortest on top, so the hems overlap; a side view shows three layers hanging from one waist seam. Way 2, flounces on a base skirt: equal flounces are gathered and sewn onto a full-length base skirt from the hem up, each row hiding the seam of the row below; a side view shows the base with three flounces hanging from it.

Part 1 · Historical origins

Layered skirt: origins

Ancestors

Way 2 · flounces on a base

Today

Alabaster statue of Ebih-Il, c. 2400 BC, wearing a kaunakes skirt of overlapping rows of wool tufts

c. 2400 BC

Rows of wool tufts

Mari, Syria · Louvre

Minoan Snake Goddess figurine, c. 1600 BC, in a bell-shaped skirt of overlapping flounces

c. 1600 BC

First flounces on a skirt

Knossos, Crete

Silk dress, 1853–56, its skirt covered with five overlapping flounces over a crinoline

1850s

Robe à volants

Dress · The Met

Woman in a polka-dot flamenco dress with rows of overlapping flounces, photograph from 1942

1942

Flamenco volantes

Style from the late 1800s

Giambattista Valli Spring 2026, look 46: pink organza gown made of about eight overlapping ruffle rows

2026

Giambattista Valli, SS26

Rows of organza ruffles

Layered history runway in one clip: for each era the real original comes first — the statue of Ebih-Il from Mari (c. 2400 BC) and the Snake Goddess of Knossos (c. 1600 BC) in lit museum vitrines, a robe à volants of the 1850s, a 1942 flamenco photo as a newsreel — then a woman in that dress walks toward us, and in 1942 she dances flamenco in Technicolor; on her turn the film whips into real runway clips of 2026

Part 1 · Historical origins

Tiered skirt: origins

Ancestors · not tiered yet

Real tiers · folk dress

Lucas Cranach the Elder, Duchess Katharina of Mecklenburg, 1514: a red and gold dress with wide applied bands on the skirt

1514

Applied bands

Cranach · Dresden

Velázquez, Infanta Margarita Teresa in a Blue Dress, 1659: a wide blue skirt over a hoop with rows of silver galloons

1659

Galloons on a hoop

Velázquez · Vienna

Robe à la française, 1750–60: pink silk dress with a gathered flounce on the petticoat

1750s

Robe à la française

One flounce · The Met

Postcard, about 1910: a woman in a white Panamanian pollera with gathered tiers and a yellow shawl

c. 1910

Panamanian pollera

Since the mid-1800s

Fiesta dress, about 1950: a green dress with a two-tiered skirt trimmed with blue ribbon

1950

Fiesta dress

New Mexico, USA

History runway in one clip: for each era the real original comes first — Cranach’s 1514 portrait, Velázquez’s 1659 Infanta, a 1750s robe, a pollera postcard of about 1910, a 1950 fiesta dress, 1970s prairie dresses — then a woman in that dress walks toward us, filmed the way her time would have seen it: painting, hand-coloured photo, colour slide, Super 8; the film burns into real runway clips of 2026

Part 1 · Famous skirts

Famous tiered and layered skirts

Four places where these skirts became famous

Carrie Bradshaw in a white tulle tutu skirt on a New York street, Sex and the City opening credits

In movies

Sex and the City, Harry Potter

Toulouse-Lautrec’s poster Moulin Rouge – La Goulue, 1891: La Goulue dances the cancan, her white petticoats spread around her

On stage

The French cancan, Paris

A dancer in a white pollera de gala embroidered in blue: a wide skirt of two gathered tiers with lace at the hem, gold chains and a headdress of tembleques

In folk dress

The pollera, Panama

Yves Saint Laurent Autumn-Winter 1976 runway: embroidered peasant blouse, wide sash and a full gathered skirt

In haute couture

Yves Saint Laurent, 1976

Part 1 · Famous skirts · In movies

Famous skirts in movies

Two tiered, two layered

Layered

Carrie Bradshaw in a white tulle tutu skirt on a New York street, Sex and the City opening credits

Sex and the City, 1998

$5 tutu, sold for $52,000

Tiered

Hermione walks down the staircase to the Yule Ball in a long pink gown with a tiered chiffon skirt, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter, 2005

Pink chiffon tiers

Layered

Lola Flores dancing in a black flamenco dress with rows of white-edged volantes, Sevillanas

Sevillanas, 1992

Lola Flores in volantes

Tiered

Villanelle in a pink tiered tulle dress by Molly Goddard, Killing Eve

Killing Eve, 2018

Molly Goddard tulle tiers

Part 1 · Famous skirts · On stage

French cancan

Moulin Rouge, since 6 October 1889

“A full skirt made of layered ruffles”

How the Moulin Rouge describes the cancan costume

Photograph, 1886: the cancan dancers La Goulue and Grille d’Égout spread their skirts like fans, showing row after row of lace ruffles underneath

La Goulue & Grille d’Égout, 1886

Rows of ruffles under the skirt

Toulouse-Lautrec’s poster Moulin Rouge – La Goulue, 1891: La Goulue dances the cancan, her white petticoats spread around her

Toulouse-Lautrec, 1891

La Goulue’s white petticoats

Cancan dancers at the Moulin Rouge today, swirling skirts lined with rows of blue, white and red ruffles

Moulin Rouge today

Féerie: blue, white, red ruffles

Part 1 · Famous skirts · Folk dress

The pollera: Panama’s festive dress

Central America, between Costa Rica and Colombia

1850s

a country skirt of two gathered tiers becomes festive dress

Gala

the white, fully embroidered version, for parades and weddings

22 July

National Pollera Day; every January, a parade of a thousand polleras

Two young women spread the skirts of their polleras de gala, one embroidered in red, the other in blue, 2012

Two polleras de gala, embroidered in red and in blue, 2012

Part 1 · Famous skirts · Folk dress

Two tiers, two years, all by hand

A simple tiered skirt, made precious by handwork

2 tiers

gathered, every tier embroidered by hand

2 years

for one dress, about six artisans

$12k

the dress alone; with gold chains, up to $26k

A dancer in a white pollera de gala embroidered in blue: a wide skirt of two gathered tiers with lace at the hem, gold chains and a headdress of tembleques

Tier 1 · cuerpo

Tier 2 · susto

Pollera de gala

Close-up of a pollera: black embroidery on white fabric, a band of bobbin-lace braid over the seam between the tiers and lace below

Embroidery, bobbin-lace braid, lace

A young woman in a pollera with a crown-comb, white trembling hair ornaments called tembleques, wool pompoms and several gold chains, Chitré, 2012

Tembleques and gold, extra

Part 1 · Famous skirts · Haute couture

Haute couture goes peasant

Halston Ultrasuede shirt-dress with a belt and a red scarf, 1972

Before · 1972

Halston: minimal shirt-dress

Yves Saint Laurent Autumn-Winter 1976 runway: embroidered peasant blouse, wide sash and a full gathered skirt

After · 1976

YSL: peasant blouse, full gathered skirt

Film of the Yves Saint Laurent Autumn-Winter 1976 show at the Hôtel Inter-Continental: a model in a white peasant dress with striped bands walks down the runway

The show · 28 July 1976

Hôtel Inter-Continental, Paris · first show set to music

The New York Times, the next day

“A Revolutionary Saint Laurent Showing”

Part 1 · Famous skirts · Haute couture

1976: gathered in couture, tiered in ready-to-wear

On the couture runway the skirt was one gathered piece; the tiers came in his shop line

1 · Couture: gathered

Yves Saint Laurent haute couture, Autumn-Winter 1976: Russian evening ensemble with a red velvet jacket and one very full black silk skirt gathered at the waist

Evening look, 1976

One full gathered skirt

2 · Underneath: a petticoat

Yves Saint Laurent workshop sheet, 1976: sketch of a long evening look with fabric swatches and the notes “jupe satin grenat” and “jupon taffetas rouge” — a garnet satin skirt over a red taffeta petticoat

Atelier sheet

Satin skirt over a taffeta petticoat

3 · Ready-to-wear: tiered

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche paisley cotton peasant skirt, about 1976–77, made of two gathered tiers with an elastic waist

Rive Gauche, 1976–77

Peasant skirt in two tiers

Part 2 · Runway trends

Tiered skirt on the runway

Fall 2025 and Spring 2026

Spring 2026

Simone Rocha Spring 2026, look 1: silver sequin bra top over a full pink floral tulle skirt of gathered tiers

Simone Rocha

Floral tulle

Fall 2025

Ralph Lauren Fall 2025, look 18: brown jacket over a printed prairie maxi skirt with gathered tiers

Ralph Lauren

Printed chiffon

Spring 2026

Chloé Spring 2026: beige oversized parka with a smocked flounce at the hem over a pale pink maxi skirt of gathered tiers

Chloé

Pale pink tiers

Fall 2025

Ulla Johnson Fall 2025, look 2: gold-shot tweed midi dress made of horizontal tiers with fringed seams

Ulla Johnson

Gold-shot tweed

Spring 2026

Ulla Johnson Spring 2026, look 8: blue strapless smocked maxi dress with a skirt of gathered tiers

Ulla Johnson

Smocked cotton

Part 2 · Runway trends

Tiered skirt on the runway

Fall 2026 and Spring 2027

Fall 2026

Chloé Fall 2026, look 14: periwinkle mousseline dress with gathered tiers and a ruffled hem

Chloé

Silk mousseline

Fall 2026

Altuzarra Fall 2026, look 39: black floor-length skirt of three gathered tiers widening to the hem, with a cropped black jacket

Altuzarra

Matte black

Spring 2027

Ulla Johnson Spring 2027, look 26: rust tiered maxi dress with ruffled trim along the horizontal seams

Ulla Johnson

Sheer woven

Spring 2027

Etro Spring 2027, look 8: beige paisley-print dress with a ruffled bodice and a gathered ruffle tier at the hem

Etro

Pleated paisley

Part 2 · Runway trends

Layered skirt on the runway

Fall 2025 and Spring 2026

Fall 2025

Chloé Fall 2025, look 12: ivory lace dress with a skirt of overlapping sheer ruffles

Chloé

Lace + sheer frills

Fall 2025

Valentino Fall 2025, look 58: strapless gown with six rows of gold pleated flounces

Valentino

Metallic pleated

Spring 2026

Blumarine Spring 2026: beige fitted bodice over a huge white tulle skirt of many layers, longer at the back

Blumarine

White tulle layers

Spring 2026

Giambattista Valli Spring 2026, look 46: pink organza gown made of about eight overlapping ruffle rows

Giambattista Valli

Organza

Spring 2026

Zimmermann Spring 2026, look 21: floral strapless midi dress with lace-edged flounces in rows

Zimmermann

Print + lace trim

Part 2 · Runway trends

Layered skirt on the runway

Fall 2026 and Spring 2027

Fall 2026

Dior Fall 2026, look 59: black overskirt open at the front over rows of ivory lace ruffles

Dior

Lace ruffles

Spring 2027

Roksanda Spring 2027: cream top and a sculptural skirt of stiff cream and red panels laid over each other like petals

Roksanda

Stiff petal panels

Fall 2026

Zimmermann Fall 2026, look 31: blue-grey column skirt covered in about ten rows of lace-edged ruffles

Zimmermann

Lace-edged ruffles

Spring 2027

Eckhaus Latta Spring 2027: black tank top and a black skirt covered in rows of jagged ruffles

Eckhaus Latta

Black jagged ruffles

Part 2 · Runway trends

Layered skirt on the runway

Spring 2027 · the ruffle season

Spring 2027

Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2027, look 16: peony-print sheer maxi dress with rows of lace-trimmed ruffles

Dolce & Gabbana

Printed chiffon

Spring 2027

Roksanda Spring 2027: red fringed top and a periwinkle blue asymmetric skirt covered in rows of ruffles

Roksanda

Periwinkle ruffles

Spring 2027

Ulla Johnson Spring 2027, look 4: pale yellow chiffon slip dress with overlapping ruffle rows

Ulla Johnson

Chiffon

Part 2 · Materials

Tiered skirt: materials

Soft fabrics that gather well into each seam

Close-up: periwinkle silk mousseline tiers with a ruffled hem, Chloé Fall 2026

Sheer chiffon, mousseline, tulle

5 of 9 looks · Chloé, Fall 2026

Close-up: gold-shot tweed tiers with fringed seams, Ulla Johnson Fall 2025

Tweed

1 of 9 looks · Ulla Johnson, Fall 2025

Close-up: blue cotton dress, smocked on the bodice and at the top of the lower tier, Ulla Johnson Spring 2026

Smocking

Smocking

Smocked cotton

1 of 9 looks · Ulla Johnson, Spring 2026

Part 2 · Materials

Layered skirt: materials

Light, sheer fabrics, edges finished with lace

Close-up: rows of yellow chiffon ruffles, Ulla Johnson Spring 2027

Chiffon, organza, tulle

5 of 12 looks · Ulla Johnson, Spring 2027

Close-up: printed flounces edged with white lace, Zimmermann Spring 2026

Lace on the edges

4 of 12 looks · Zimmermann, Spring 2026

Close-up: rows of pink organza ruffles, Giambattista Valli Spring 2026

Sheer = light volume

many rows, no weight · Giambattista Valli, Spring 2026

Part 2 · Materials · Summary

Materials: light fabrics win

Both skirts use a lot of fabric, so it has to be light

Both

10 of 21

looks in sheer fabrics: chiffon, mousseline, organza, tulle

Tiered

Soft

fabrics that gather well at every seam; fine cotton and tweed too

Layered

Light

many rows of flounces stay airy; lace on the edges in 4 of 12

Part 2 · Length, volume, finishings

Length

Ulla Johnson Spring 2027, look 26: rust tiered maxi dress reaching the floor

Tiered

Long: midi to floor

midi 3 · floor 6 of 9

Ulla Johnson, Spring 2027

Giambattista Valli Spring 2026, look 46: pink organza gown with rows of ruffles to the floor

Layered

Mostly long, more varied

floor 5 · ankle 2 · midi 3 · knee 2 of 12

Giambattista Valli, Spring 2026

Part 2 · Length, volume, finishings

Volume

Altuzarra Fall 2026, look 39: black skirt widening tier by tier to a full hem

Tiered

Widens tier by tier

A-line, fullest at the hem

Altuzarra, Fall 2026

Zimmermann Spring 2026, look 21: very full skirt of printed lace-edged flounces

Layered

Volume from the flounces

very full, or a slim column with ruffles

Zimmermann, Spring 2026

Part 2 · Length, volume, finishings

Finishings

Tiered: the detail is on the seam · Layered: the detail is on the edge

Etro Spring 2027, look 8: a gathered ruffle tier sewn to the hem of a pleated paisley dress

Tiered

The seam is the detail

gathers at every seam, often covered with a ruffle or fringe

Etro, Spring 2027

Valentino Fall 2025, look 58: gold pleated flounces with free edges

Layered

The edge is the detail

every flounce edge shows: rolled hems, lace, pleats

Valentino, Fall 2025

Part 3 · Market trends

Same shape, two prices

The designer skirt costs 7 to 12 times more

Tiered

H&M peach-pink maxi skirt of gathered tiers with ruched edges

H&M

€39.99

×12

Ganni brown check maxi skirt of gathered tiers with frills on the seams

Ganni

€500

Layered

H&M Edition black maxi skirt with four rows of flounces on a gathered waist

H&M Edition

€69

×7

Isabel Marant navy skirt of sheer layered ruffles with an asymmetric hem

Isabel Marant

€496

Part 3 · Market trends

Two markets by price

Mass market

€25–90

High street: H&M, Zara

9 skirts · median price €33

Luxury

€420–3,500

Designer labels: Ganni, Alaïa, Toteme…

8 skirts · median price €605

Same two shapes in both markets — luxury costs about 18 times more

Part 3 · Mass market · H&M and Zara · €25–90

Mass market: tiered

H&M black sheer maxi skirt of gathered tiers, side view while walking

H&M

€24.99

Polyester

H&M peach-pink maxi skirt of gathered tiers with ruched edges

H&M

€39.99

Lyocell mix

H&M cream lace maxi skirt with a smocked waist and gathered tiers

H&M

€29.99

Cotton-mix lace

H&M brick-red cotton maxi skirt with a gathered tier and lace insertion

H&M

€29.99

Cotton

Part 3 · Mass market · H&M and Zara · €25–90

Mass market: layered

Zara dark brown midi-long skirt with rows of ruffles

Zara

€32.95

Polyester

H&M Edition black maxi skirt with four rows of flounces on a gathered waist

H&M Edition

€69

Four rows of flounces

Zara brown midi-long skirt with diagonal rows of ruffles

Zara

€35.95

Viscose

H&M black floral mini skirt with rows of ruffles

H&M

€24.99

Polyester

H&M bordeaux rib-knit maxi skirt with three rows of pleated flounces

H&M

€89.99

Viscose mix

Part 3 · Luxury · designer labels · €420–3,500

Luxury: tiered

Ganni brown check maxi skirt with gathered tiers and frills on the seams

Ganni

€500

Organic cotton

Isabel Marant Étoile printed maxi skirt of gathered tiers

Isabel Marant Étoile

€420

Organic cotton

Comme des Garçons Girl midi skirt: decorated upper tier and gathered black satin lower tier

Comme des Garçons Girl

€1,140

Polyester

Part 3 · Luxury · designer labels · €420–3,500

Luxury: layered

Shushu/Tong pale blue knee-length skirt of lace ruffle rows

Shushu/Tong

€985

Linen + lace

Toteme black satin midi skirt over a longer gauze underlay

Toteme

€550

Viscose-linen satin

Simone Rocha floral midi skirt with rows of frills at the hem

Simone Rocha

€660

Stretch polyester

Isabel Marant navy skirt of sheer layered ruffles with an asymmetric hem

Isabel Marant

€496

Sheer ruffles

Alaïa white taffeta petticoat skirt: layers of different lengths under one yoke

Alaïa

€3,500

Nylon taffeta

Part 3 · Market trends

Same shapes, two markets

On 9 + 8 skirtsMass marketLuxury
Price€25–90 · median €33€420–3,500 · median €605
FabricsPolyester, viscose or lyocell in 6 of 9; cotton in 2Natural fibres in 3 of 8: organic cotton, linen; synthetics in 3
LengthLong in 8 of 9; one ruffled miniMidi or knee in 6 of 8; maxi in 2
DetailsElastic, smocked or drawstring waists; plain gathersLace trims, frills in the seams, tape decoration, taffeta and gauze underlayers
NamesH&M sells ruffle rows as “à étages”Shushu/Tong sells lace ruffle rows as “tiered”

Both markets sell both styles; luxury goes shorter and adds detail

Conclusion

What we learned

Cancan dancers at the Moulin Rouge today, swirling skirts lined with rows of blue, white and red ruffles

01

Made to move

Cancan, flamenco, the pollera, the Yule Ball: all worn for dancing

Close-up: rows of yellow chiffon ruffles, Ulla Johnson Spring 2027

02

More volume, lighter fabric

Many layers need a light fabric: 10 of 21 runway looks are sheer

Shushu/Tong pale blue knee-length skirt of lace ruffle rows

03

Shops mix up the names

4 of the 10 layered skirts we found are sold as “tiered” or “à étages”

Minoan Snake Goddess figurine from Knossos, c. 1600 BC, in a bell-shaped skirt of overlapping flounces

04

3,600 years old

Flounced skirts already in Minoan Crete; folk dress kept them alive

Chloé Fall 2026, look 14: periwinkle mousseline dress with gathered tiers and a ruffled hem

05

In fashion every season

We found both styles in all four seasons, Fall 2025 – Spring 2027

H&M black sheer maxi skirt of gathered tiers, side view while walking

06

From €25 to €3,500

Both styles at every price; luxury costs about 18 times more

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