About KREL

KREL is an independent knitwear atelier and fiber art studio founded by fashion designer and textile artist Karelle Levy in 2002. Rooted in innovation, sustainability, and craftsmanship, every garment is digitally designed and programmed by Karelle using the Shima Seiki APEX 3 knit design system before being knit on our Shima Seiki industrial knitting machine, Maggie.

Rather than cutting fabric from rolls, each garment is engineered stitch by stitch using advanced whole-garment knitting technology. This full-fashion approach minimizes waste while allowing us to create sculptural silhouettes, seamless construction, and exceptional comfort.

Every piece is hand-finished in our Savannah, Georgia atelier, where technology and craftsmanship work together to create wearable works of art.

Designed for Every Body

KREL has always believed that beautiful clothing should celebrate the body—not force it to conform.

Our signature TOOBULAR™ construction and engineered stretch fabrics are designed to move with the body, creating garments that comfortably embrace a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Karelle's own lifelong search for flattering clothing inspired her to rethink how knitwear could fit, stretch, and sculpt naturally.

Each design is created for those who simply connect with it.

Luxury Plant-Based Fibers

Our collections are crafted primarily from breathable, lightweight, vegan fibers that are soft against the skin and comfortable to wear year-round.

We work with premium yarns including:

• Bamboo
• Organic and premium cotton
• Lyocell (TENCEL™)
• Rayon
• Lurex
• Specialty recycled fibers
• Occasional technical performance blends

Because every design exists as a digital knit file, many pieces can be recreated in different colors or yarns, allowing for an exceptional level of customization while remaining true to our small-batch philosophy.

Most KREL designs are produced in limited quantities or as one-of-a-kind pieces.

Sustainability by Design

Sustainability isn't an afterthought—it's woven into every decision we make.

Our knitwear is produced using zero-waste full-fashion knitting, eliminating the fabric waste created by traditional cut-and-sew manufacturing. Nearly every scrap finds a second life.

Yarn remnants become artwork, accessories, toys, or filling materials. Prototype garments are repurposed instead of discarded. Empty cones are donated to artists and schools, and shipping materials are reused whenever possible. Even after decades of production, our weekly textile waste fits inside a container roughly the size of a one-gallon milk carton.

Every garment is knit on demand, hand-finished, gently washed using environmentally conscious products, and air dried to preserve the integrity of the fibers.

From Miami to Savannah

KREL was born in Paris, and raised in Miami, where designing knitwear for a tropical climate challenged traditional ideas about sweaters. Instead of heavy wool, Karelle developed breathable knit fabrics using plant-based fibers that feel cool, stretchy, and comfortable while maintaining unique silhouettes and vibrant color.

Today, the atelier has relocated to Savannah, Georgia, where KREL continues to blend fashion, textile innovation, and fiber art under one roof.

Recognition

Over more than two decades, KREL has earned an international following, with collections worn throughout the United States, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, and Asia.

KREL has been recognized as Best Local Fashion Designer by Miami New Times (2005, 2010, 2021, and 2026) and has received honors including Knight Foundation Champion, YoungArts Panelist, and Style Wars National Champion.

The work has appeared in publications including Vogue, The New York Times, Women's Wear Daily, People, Elle, Fiber Art Now, Flamingo Magazine, and Aventura Magazine.

KREL designs have been worn by artists including Nicki Minaj, Alanis Morissette, Elena Rose, Afro Beta, and performers for Wisin at the Latin Grammy Awards.

Meet Karelle

Born in Paris and raised in Miami by a Swedish mother and French-Tunisian father, Karelle Levy grew up immersed in art, music, dance, fashion, and making.

After losing her fiber artist mother as a teenager, she found her own creative path through textile studies, beginning with weaving at the University of Miami during hight school and continuing with a BFA in Textile Design from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Her practice has since expanded beyond fashion into large-scale fiber installations, sculptural textiles, and community-based art projects. Whether creating couture garments or immersive textile environments, her work explores color, movement, texture, and the emotional connection between people and cloth.

Today, every KREL piece continues to reflect that same philosophy: thoughtful design, responsible production, and craftsmanship made to be worn, lived in, and loved.