Ilana Kugel, Creative Director and Founder of Koral, was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was introduced to the world of fashion through her family who owned several fashion businesses, so she naturally inherited an interest and passion for creativity from a very young age.

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Ilana attended the prestigious Universidade Anhembi Morumbi, where she graduated top of her class with a degree in Fashion Design and a specialization in technical design. After graduation, she furthered her education at the renowned Senac Universidade, where she obtained her degree in Creative Art and Fashion Styling. Upon graduating from her studies, Ilana began her career designing for Triton, a contemporary fashion brand in Brazil. After learning the trade at Triton, Ilana eventually moved on to more senior design roles with MOB and eventually Forum.

Working her way up in the industry and gaining knowledge from several mentors, Ilana was inspired to create her own line that was influenced by her Sao Paulo lifestyle - working in the city and spending her weekends on the beaches, it was only natural for her to dive into designing items that fit seamlessly in her own life. Ilana had noticed a gap in the marketplace for fashion forward premium activewear pieces, and sophisticated swimsuit styles in the United States. This realization brought her to eventually move to Los Angeles, and fully realize her vision into a activewear brand that perfectly balances performance with fashion.

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Koral officially launched in 2014, unveiling Ilana’s first unique collection of premium activewear, including sports bras, tanks, jackets, tops, jumpsuits, and pants, in sophisticated hues and slimming designs that elevate the female form and can be worn all day long. The revolutionary activewear brand is crafted for high performance activities while also staying elevated and fashionable, all the while maintaining sustainability for the modern-day woman. With her impressive and industry-standard-setting work at Koral, Kugel was inducted into the CFDA in 2019

Ilana currently resides in Los Angeles, CA near the beach where she continues to draw inspiration from her everyday life of mixing fashion and a healthy lifestyle to help inspire those around her through her unique design aesthetic while also devoting personal time thorough her endurance training. Kugel is an accomplished triathlete as she travels the world to compete in triathlon races. Kugel is a devoted philanthropist as she is part of several nonprofit organizations.

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