Rachael Levine

"The Shibori technique allows me to create beautiful one-of-a-kind patterns in fabrics. What I love even more than being able to design my own textiles, is constructing them into wearable pieces of art and seeing my customers express their own creative styles with every wear. "

An array is defined as an impressive display or range of a particular type of thing, which is exactly what Rachael Levine honors in her brand of wearable art. ARAE offers one-of-a-kind apparel and accessories hand-dyed on silk and boiled wool using Shibori. Rachael draws inspiration from patterns, textures, and colors found in nature as well as elements of different cultures from her travels.

Rachael uses a reductive process in Shibori to get her patterns and colors. Instead of adding dye, she removes it to accomplish a more natural color variation. Since the wool is so thick, she works with small cuts of fabric to prep and dye one at a time. This is necessary in order to achieve a pattern that translates through the whole piece. She then uses it to construct her collection.

Rachael received a BFA in Fashion Design from Columbia College Chicago. She studied Shibori under Michael Olszewski at Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Columbia College, and Penland School of Craft. She started applying the Shibori technique to all the fabric she worked with throughout her undergrad, and after graduation launched her brand ARAE.