theFashionSpot: Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
Temma Dahan-Newman: I had a handbag line called Temma Dahan for 10 years which sold at Fred Segal, Neiman Marcus and many smaller boutiques.
tFS: At what point did the idea for 9seed come about and what made you actually pursue it?
TDN: I have always been bitten by the travel bug. I love bohemian flowing coverups, but could never find the perfect piece, so I designed it!
tFS: Can you elaborate on the initial steps?
TDN: I started research by traveling to some gypset-inspired places like Thailand, Ibiza and Tulum. Then I started with a mood board while researching my favorite era, 70s glam.
tFS: Where did the name 9seed come from?
TDN: My daughter Lola was 9 years old when we started the line; the line is referred to as my beginning or a baby seed.
tFS: Can you tell us about some of your most inspiring travels?
TDN: I love the colors of Cuba, the sights and fabrics of Thailand, the beautiful hippies of Tulum, the cool fashion of Paris, and the California beach culture where I live. I am obsessed with the tropical beauty and Latin influence of Miami as well. Mix it all up and you have 9seed.
tFS: Any disappointing travel experiences?
TDN: None. I never plan things, this way it’s all spontaneous and new! I love it all. If something turns out in a way we didn’t expect, I always try to make lemonade out of lemons.
tFS: Any place you’re dying to visit?
TDN: I want to go to southern India, to the state of Kerala.
tFS: Are you mostly inspired by warm weather travel?
TDN: Absolutely. I am not a cold weather person.
tFS: What are some of the biggest challenges day-to-day running an up-and-coming fashion business?
TDN: Production can be a challenge! We are so blessed to have over 150 retailers now, but sometimes it can get hectic! I will take it!
tFS: Anything you know now you wish you had known when you started your brand?
TDN: I learn new things every day, I just wish I had more time to travel, but that will come again.
