Designer Nilgün Derman started a company in the late '80s making an art-to-wear line of intricate, hand-painted garments. She opened a small boutique nestled among the trees in a little "niche" in Castle Hills in 1992, and began making ready-to wear clothing in addition to her popular one-of-a-kind garments.

Nilgün, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, holds a Master's degree in Industrial Design, which influences the architectural shapes and sensibilities of the Niche collection. Her daughter Ayse joined the company in 1999 as Creative Director, after graduating from UT Austin with a business degree. Together, they design an ever-expanding array of feminine, wearable separates into the modern collection it is today.