The light comes out soft across the entire shade rather than as a hard beam with a bright spot at the center, because it passes through pleated fabric instead of glass or metal.
What hangs there is worth looking at on its own: two tiers of pleats stepping outward into a shape closer to a blossom than a lampshade, with a slim brushed brass stem running down through the white. From underneath, the layers reveal a depth that flat shades never have.