Philippines-born and Texas-raised, Nim Botor, a self-taught designer, uses his eye for style, drape and fit to create stunning (and sometimes futuristic) garments for todayâ€s fashionable, modern women (in other words, you).

Since he can remember, Nim tells Signature9, “I was always fascinated by the female form and dress, visually devouring fashion magazines from cover to cover and trying to recreate and illustrate those images on paper.”

His experience and talent soared working as a design assistant to New York design duo, Pepper&Pistol as well as Texan designer, Cesar Galindo (who is currently kicking butt as a contestant on the hit Bravo series, The Fashion Show, hosted by Iman).

We were inspired by this particular piece from Nimâ€s “Kimono 2010” collection, an array of coats and outerwear inspired by the elegance of the Japanese kimono and the ease and comfort of classic American sportswear. This particular collaboration of eastern clothing traditions and western dress conveys a new and modern aesthetic.

The pullover-silhouette coat in a cream-colored wool and cashmere blend offers a spin on the classic bomber jacket. Detailed with a funnel neck, exposed industrial side zipper, exaggerated kimono sleeves, and inverted center back pleat, this one-of-a-kind creation will surely get you noticed.

Made from welded steel, stainless steel and copper, each piece is built from the base up with a focus on gravity and balance.

A native New Yorker, Papendick has lived and worked in St. Louis for the past 17 years, and after a stint as a restaurateur decided to pursue commercial art full-time, with his sculptural birdfeeders as the primary product.

Free as a bird now.

Mouse over individual necklaces for pricing, click to buy.

Kjoo by Maria João Ribeiro

Big, bold necklaces never really go away when it comes to on trend accessories. If the usual mixed metals and stones feel a bit heavy for summer, Maria João Ribeiro offers bright colors and bold shapes with a bit of lightness. Perhaps reflective of Portugal’s warmer weather, the necklaces are perfect to take along if you like to make statements with your jewelry, but aren’t ready to be weighed down just yet.

Counter clockwise:

Mini Sheepskin Cape Footstool
$805.80

An antique footstool covered with dark gold top fabric and a vintage luxury dark gold sheepskin mini cape. The stool has brass stud work and part sheepskin trim.

The Original Corset Chair
$3,223.21

The chair is done in a dusky pink and chocolate brown palette with a fully boned Victorian style corset back and mini cushion. The fabric is vintage damask with double sided velvet ribbon.

The Bow Dining Chair
$805.80

Influenced by an underwear set, this antique dining chair has a soft peach damask fabric top cover with broderie anglaise and large black satin bow.

Man’s Jacket Chair
$2,417.41

It has a vintage Heals frame and an integral vintage man’s leather jacket. Brass stud work and iPod earphones hang from the pocket.

The Woolcoat Chair
$2,417.41

Combining textures and techniques in wool, this modern (recycled) piece is covered with luxury wool flannel by Abraham Moon and has a section of a man’s wool overcoat. The coat has been given the look of morphing into the chair itself by use of the traditional technique of dry felting with merino wool. The overcoat also has a wool fringe trim.

Available through Etsy or SarahLouiseDix.co.uk

You know the ones – they have enough dough to advertise during the Superbowl, they’re owned by foreign mega conglomerates, and one of them even has its own line of amusement parks.

Yup, we’re talking beer – and who could possibly be so bold as to face off against companies like Bud, Coors, and Heineken?

Sixpoint Craft Ales. This Brooklyn brewery was started up in 2004 by Shane Welch and has been attempting to shake up the status quo ever since. Luckily, they’re not going into the fray unarmed – they have some serious flavor and a healthy dosage of style on their side.

Sixpoint Craft Ales has used ingredients as out there as wormwood, carob, and chili peppers in their brewing adventures and see themselves as part of a craft brewing scene that “is setting all of the new trends and innovations” in the world of beer.

As they say on their, very cool, Web site: “Dozens of varieties consistently churn out from our brewery uninhibited by style guidelines, definitions, and preconceived notions of what beer should be. We take what we know, what we like, and what we aspire to be and create our own style.”

Sixpoint Craft Ales founder, Shane Welch, taste testing the ale.

And, clearly, New Yorkers are digging that style. Sixpoint Craft Ale’s Bengali Tiger was named the #1 beer for connoisseurs by The Village Voice, and the company will have sold about 8,000 barrels by the end of this year.

So – can a little company that believes in taste, quality, and rockin’ innovation really take on the Heinekens of the world? Well, probably not, but if Sixpoint Craft Ales keeps brewing, we’ll keep drinking.  After all, we’re talkin’ about a revolution, folks – it’s best to take it one frothy sip at a time.

Read More {Sixpoint Craft Ales}

Read More {Serious Eats}

Read More {New York Times}

Blanket, €75 ($108); Garland, €25($36); Stools, €65 ($93)

Dutch “handy woman” and writer of the blog Wood & Wool Stool, Ingrid Jansen has been creating her own brand of stools since 2008 – and they’re definitely in a class of their own.

Made from wool and reclaimed wood, each stool is unique  – but you can choose the colors and patterns you prefer.

Stool, €65 ($93); Pillow, €65 - €75 ($93-$108)

And while we adore her signature stools, that’s not all the talented Ms. Jansen makes. For sale on her web site are pillows, clothes hangers, blankets, garlands, picture frames, and even wooden Christmas Trees!

But all the creations of this Dutch crocheter extraordinaire have one thing in common. Vibrant, fabulous color.

Any of Jansen’s products would be sure to bring some instant happiness to your home – and who couldn’t use some more happy in their lives?

Read More {Wood & Wool Stool Store}

Read More {Wood & Wool Stool Blog}

Read More {SFGirlByTheBay}

Hays began blogging about design a few years ago, and decided to take the plunge and launch her own company this year. And we’re very glad she did - both her clean-cut, vibrant pillows and her fun graphic tees are an absolute breath of fresh air.

While we think her pillows would look great in any room – from a stark college dorm to a dark and atmospheric study – Hays has one room she’d love to design over any other:

“I would love to design a room for the First Lady. Thereâ€d be some amazing statement pieces like a classic tufted sofa outfitted in AphroChicâ€s Haze Mimosa pillows, a graphic Madeline Weinrib rug, and a Murano chandelier to add some ambience. The space would be grounded with personal pieces from her travels – textiles from Kenya, a wood carving from South Africa, a painting picked up in Italy. And some Moroccan poufs would provide the perfect seating for her daughters. It would be a perfect reflection of her modern and classic style – the kind of room that would seamlessly blend world cultures and high-end design to create a warm and comfortable space for the family to relax in.”

While Obama’s living room may just be a fantasy for now, we think that all of Hays’ pieces “seamlessly blend world cultures and high-end design.” If you want the look for yourself, check out the online shop.

Read More {AphroChic Blog}

Read More {Decor8}

Read More {The Inside Stoop}

Recently featured by the blog 2Modern Design Talk and chosen as one of the 100 “most important young designers from around the world” by &fork, Nada se leva is an exciting design team that creates fresh, interesting, and down right beautiful furniture that reimagines and transforms the fussy, ostentatious furniture of centuries gone by.

A perfect example of their design aesthetic? Take the understated elegance of this bench, inspired by the decadent Alhambra of Granada.

 

 

And…could that be the Nesso mushroom lamp we spy in their new collection???

Katie Black $240

Patti Black $270

Georgina Blue Paisley $330

Kate Blue Print $240

This lovely line was inspired by the beauty of nature, and butterflies in particular. Designer Aimee McNeilly has been enamored with the color and balance of the natural world ever since she was young. That interdependence has been her drive to use her love of different textures, fabrics, colors and drapes to create her designs. Because the dresses are made from vintage silks they are also considered eco-friendly, so you can look good and feel good wearing them. Check out the whole collection at http://shop.moxsie.com/clothilde.

Geometric Cube Ring $275

Graffiti Earrings $65

Large Green Bangle $125

Large Color Splatter Bangle $150

Jewelry designers Ken Leung and Dana Chin created the B-Side accessory line which is a favorite of celebrities like Debra Messing and Beyonce. The pieces are big and bright, constructed of mostly metals and gemstones. They use materials such as silver, brass and enamel that retain a classic finesse, but remain contemporary. The collection is inspired by the cultural revolution of the 1980s, specifically hip-hop and graffiti as an art form. Check out all of their vibrant designs at http://shop.moxsie.com/b-side.