Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nyame Mariam Danso. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nyame Mariam , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you find your key vendor or vendors? Maybe you can share the backstory and share some context and the relevant details to help us understand why you chose them, why they chose you, etc.

For my first fashion show with MODA at Palomar college. I got some of my fabrics from west Africa when I went on vacation, I went to the local markets where they make African print fabrics by hand and got to see the whole process of how the locals make their own designs. The rest of my fabrics I got from LA fabric district from a wholesale retailer who get her original fabrics from the Middle East and Asia.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello. My name is Nyame Mariam Danso. I’m a recent fashion design major at Palomar college and will be getting my masters from cal state Long Beach university which I got in. I started out as a model while also working in healthcare. My proximity to designers and stylist made me fall in love with fashion design and everything fashion related. I then enrolled in fashion courses at Palomar college San Marcos where I learned sewing, pattern making, draping etc. I started my small business during the pandemic making masks and silk hair bonnets using a borrowed machine we got from school to work on school work during social distancing. Fast forward to finishing my courses and finally presenting my ready to wear collection with I hope to shoot and start selling next month.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Like many businesses, I start my business with my own money buying supplies, machines and fabrics. After scaling up my business and getting my LLC and other business licenses, I was able to qualify for multiple business grants as well as get capital to hire contractors, models and photographers.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

When I had three contractors as well as social media manager, because everyone was working from home, the hassle was getting supplies to everyone when I had some people who lived in Los Angeles, San Diego and out of states. As a new business owner these are the challenges sometimes we have to face to learn from the mistakes. That system didn’t work for me and had to pivot and get local or close contractors so I wasn’t living above my means and bad everything under control and under budget.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.studio9six.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio9six__/