Stylish. Bold. Eye Catching. These are just a few words that describe Nikel Designs and the woman power behind it. Nikki McNish, the “Marketing Guru” and Kelly Wacaser Stewart, the “Entrepreneurial Spirit” are the true definition of a partnership. Each with a background in retail and marketing, developing a clothing line seemed like a natural progression at this point in their careers and friendship.

Stewart, who hasn’t always had a passion for fashion, became part of this industry by accident. After graduating from business school and surviving the dot.com craze that swept the nation, she was hired to handle the marketing and events for an upscale boutique in Austin, TX. That door opened Stewart up to a world that would become a stepping-stone to opening her own boutique a few years later. In 2002, Dahlia Boutique was born and Stewart was living her dream of running her own business. The boutique gained a reputation for carrying unique styles and hard to find designers, along with customer service that was unmatched. Stewart’s ability to know what styles work for each of her clients is the backbone of her business. After 5 years of helping loyal customers create the perfect wardrobe, Stewart was ready to branch out and explore another side of the retail world.

McNish has worn many hats in her professional life. Dabbling in TV, advertising, non-profit, and sales, her degrees in Communications and Broadcast/media have definitely been put to good use. Her ability to take an idea from someone’s mind and transform it into a reality is second to none, and enabled her to develop her own graphic design and advertising company, Niche Marketing. McNish has always used her design ability in the art world, but it wasn’t until she started shopping at Dahlia Boutique that she began incorporating her creativity into her wardrobe. The world of fashion and retail soon became a central theme in her life, and led to a new career in the wholesale world of fashion. Working for a seasoned professional developing high end accessories and then for an overnight success in the diaper bag/baby bedding industry, McNish caught the entrepreneurial bug and was ready to leave her on own mark on the fashion industry.

Both juggling the roles of mother, wife and business woman, McNish and Stewart had the same desire to find clothes that they could wear from day to evening, work to daycare and from a day at the zoo to a girl’s night out. Their common lifestyles and work ethic led to the creation of Nikel Designs. Bold prints and classic silhouettes, along with vintage-inspired details, make Nikel Designs stand out in a crowd. Each style in the line has been designed to transition through multiple seasons and will become a staple in your wardrobe to wear for years to come. Enjoy!