ARAE

Rachael Levine is the owner/designer of Chicago based fashion brand ARAE. She creates the unique fabric used for the clothing and accessories line with a shibori tie dye technique, which is done on boiled wool. Nature's textures and patterns are the inspiration for the designs in her collection. Bringing the fine art of shibori tie dye on wool, to contemporary fashion design in outerwear and accessories, is what her brand ARAE is about.

In her fashion design career, she has been awarded based on her outstanding work and merit, the Vivian Price Fashion Design Award, FGI Award, third place at LAUNCH Fashion Show 2014 hosted at the Mercedes Benz Autohaus, and third place in the Driehaus Awards for Fashion Excellence May 2014. Rachael graduated May 2014 with a BFA in Fashion Design from Columbia College Chicago and started preparing to debut her brand ARAE at StyleMax tradeshow at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, IL August 2014. Columbia has provided Rachael with crucial skills such as being proficient with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, the process of designing and constructing garments, merchandise management, group projects, pattern grading, and spec sheets.

Other education include Haystack Mountain School of Craft where Rachael attended a 2-week fiber studio on Shibori tie-dye techniques on a full ride scholarship. Also while at Columbia College, she took a semester in LA: Costume Design for Film and Entertainment where she was able to work as a set costumer.

Rachael is very involved with the Chicago urban fashion community through different types of work. She is a keyholder/stylist at Scotch and Soda in Bucktown, and the footwear model for City Soles in Wicker Park where she also has been selling the first product of ARAE for 3 years while in school. Rachael had 3 other accounts for her accessories besides City Soles while in school. ARAE accessories is currently carried in 8 retail stores and 4 states. She is also experienced working trade shows in Chicago with Elaya Vaughn Bridal as the creative director's fashion design intern, and has done shows in New York and Orlando with Aeromax Toys as a design assistant. Rachael has done custom clothing orders and dressed for Chicago fashion shows.