In the heart of the home of World Family Ibiza, with its décor a perfect balance of welcoming warmth and a mix of every imaginable colour, we meet Merel Krielaart, tireless creator, model, mother of six children and founder of World Family Ibiza, a hand crafted fashion firm which spreads the magic of Ibiza at its most cosmopolitan throughout the world.
Merel Krielaart was born in Amsterdam, the child of an artistic family whose parents brought her up in an atmosphere of freedom and passion, and who inculcated in her that excellent nose she has for things that are different and unique, which has made her such an extraordinary woman. “I imagine myself as a blank canvas, constantly creating something, it is hard to explain, my inspiration is infinite, i am always coming up with new ideas” Merel explains adding “anything can inspire me, from a picture, to a cloud, or a pair of shoes.”
Her first contact with Ibiza was in 1971, and from the first she felt “attracted by that special colour that the island has, its innate sense of freedom, its avant-garde fashion, tremendous tolerance, and its extraordinarily beautiful people.” “Ibiza is authentic, a mix of locals and foreigners who, abandoning their former lives, made Ibiza their home, living freely, harmoniously, and naturally which is the way of life here” she asserts.
So every summer her holidays were spent with family or friends on the island until in 1993, she felt that Ibiza had “captured” her and she decided to make it her home. “I never thought that I could live in one place forever, but that is what I found in Ibiza, it captivates and charms, and welcomes you with its magic” she affirms.
From New York, where she had spent her adolescence and worked as a model for major advertising campaigns, to Benirrás, the beach where she first met Alok, her husband and 50% of the brand that they share with their six children. This couple are passionate about music, travel and discovering different cultures, eager to learn from nature, and so they realised their dream of creating a family business which would bring together all the elements of their unusual life style: World Family Ibiza.
“Our mark came about organically, we love beautiful things and we are always seeking treasures that will make our clothes different” explains Merel, who states that “even though we travel to places like Morocco, Mexico or Austria, where everyone buys the same, we go looking beyond that, we search behind that, where no one else is looking.”
But it has not been an easy path, the designer and model points out “working with the family is beautiful, although it is always very intense, and there are many difficult moments or days when we are tired, but we know how to work it out, I think the key is love and respect for each other” Merel Krielbaart stresses.
“I always say that Alok and I are a team, he is more the organisational part and I am the design, and of course following on from there our children, Carlota, Goldie, Asher, Rama, Gaya and Karuna each have their own job and role in the company” explains Merel who reveals that her 2021 collection “has a part of everyone and it will be every bit as different and unexpected as the others. I always work in the moment, I never pre-empt the season, the only thing that I can say is that now we are concentrating on menswear, although my dream for the future is to create a children’s collection” she assures us with a smile.
World Family Ibiza has always been an iconic fashion brand in Ibiza, a ray of sunshine and colour overlaid on traditional white cotton garments. “Ibizan fashion will always be special, here we are all creating inside a bubble, we are detached from society and what is going on outside, which is why people come here and dress differently, as they feel truly free” she says.
Although those who know Merel identify her with her own colourful fringed skirts, she confesses that there is nothing she likes more than tearing down her own barriers: “I don’t like to be a victim of my own style, so suddenly I’ll just put on some ripped jeans and tennis shoes.”
Personality, beauty and her own style are concepts that Merel knows very well, in fact, communications media such as Vogue or brands such as Desigual have recently chosen her to model in their catwalks and campaigns.
Whether we wear World Family Ibiza or not, Merel recommends that everyone “takes a look in the mirror every day, observe and analyse how you feel, wear different colours and shapes, and see what suits your body, your skin type, hair colour or your mood” and she continues “the thing is to learn that there are days when you feel great with a blouse and the next day that blouse doesn’t suit you at all” she concludes.
Alok and Merel are also the brains behind Namasté a musical concept that grew out of this family’s love for the island and for world cultures, an event which is held every Wednesday in Las Dalias throughout the summer. An event, or rather a “ritual” for anyone wanting to feel the true island vibe.
There is no stopping this family, and they are already busy with their next plans. “We’ve created a reality show with the family round the world, travelling and adapting to each country, where we discover and learn about different cultures and way of life and we take a look at the significant issues that concern each place and each society.”
Merel Krielaart takes her leave with a huge smile and a bit of advice for those visiting Ibiza “do it by walking around: discover the island on your own two feet, go to places that you would never normally find, smell, look and listen and do it in a different way” she concludes.
