Mandate of Heaven (CLOSED)

When it launched in January 2001, this hip, romantic and unorthodox women’s clothing label was carried in funky boutiques such as Plan B, Frida’s Closet and Patricia Field. Four years later, co-owners Carissa Ackerman and Ariel Chriqui decided to open their own retail space in Williamsburg. Now, its ever-growing following has encouraged another move to a bigger space. Located on the second story of a 1931 townhouse, the store features vintage furniture, wooden tables covered in comic books and four house cats roaming about. Mandate of Heaven comprises two clothing lines: the Mint Collection, fashioned from quirky vintage and recycled materials (century-old antique lace, 1950s fabrics, thrifted men’s polo shirts from the ’90s and recycled scraps from previous creations), and the made-to-order Opiate label, which taps artists to make garments using organic and fair-trade bamboo, hemp and hand-dyed silk. The pieces range from $6 for handmade felt leaf-shaped hair clips to $650 for a one-of-a-kind convertible faux-fur coat. Pick up striped cotton playsuits ($320) and multicolored silk patchwork bustiers ($215) from the Mint Collection, as well as Opiate organic hemp high-waist shorts ($170).