ABOUT
KRELwear was launched as an innovative knitwear brand in 2002 debuting with her first collection of one-of-a-kind, hand-knit “deconstructed” dresses and separates made with tubular knitting techniques- all executed in a wide array of yarn and texture combinations.
Since its inception, KRELwear has cultivated an astonishingly loyal following, developing its line by combining minimal cuts with unique textiles, creative construction, and a mixture of fibers. Each collection is reinvented while maintaining sexy, easy yet sophisticated silhouettes. Her collection can be found at her flagship store KREL in the Ironside Design Complex, among other boutiques
Meet the KREL Team
Karelle Levy is a Miami based fashion designer and artist specialized in knitted textiles. She opened KRELwear, her tropical knitwear brand in 2002 and her flagship boutique in May 2016. She currently hosts a series of Stitch N Bitch meet-ups, teaching people the basics in hand craft techniques in the Miami area since 2009.
She was born in Paris, and raised in Miami by a Swedish mother and Tunisian father. As a child she was surrounded by arts and crafts, music, dance, and fashion which all play a role in her design. She studied textile design at Rhode Island School of Design. This led to the beginning of knitting fabrics as wearable garments and costumes. As a performance artist, making costumes for her progressive performances cultivated into the first fashion forward pieces of knitted couture and ready to wear fashion collections called KRELwear.
As Levy’s textiles evolved, her artworks became more intricate, developing into large-scale site-specific installations and art works. Exhibitions include set design for Chromatics at The Gusman Theater, Installation at Clydebank Butcher Gallery, Fat Village Project, David Castillo Gallery, and Blackall Studios London.
Karelle Levy’s awards and recognitions include Best Local Fashion Designer in the Miami New Times in 2005 & 2010, Style Wars National Champion 2008, Gen Art Fresh Faces of Fashion in 2004. KRELwear has garnered exceptional praise in The New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily, Lucky, Ocean Drive, 944 Magazine, The Miami Herald, Noise, amongst other fine publications. Her clothing has been seen on Nicki Minaj, Alanis Morissette, Latin Grammy’s Wisin Dancers, and on Nuestra Belleza Latina.
Born in Japan, our Shima Seiki industrial knitting machine, traveled a long way to join the KREL team in 2017. KREL has never been the same. She makes our knit dreams come true. We can now make custom orders with ease and speed.