Sandra Abdalla and May Tawakol are the embodiment of kindred spirits. They both carry a military inspired khaki parka, but everything else about their outfits could not have been more different: Sandra, in an all-black outfit complete with slashed black denim; May in an oversize tribal print knit sweater with a bright blue handbag. The two women seemingly share the same core, but on the surface they appear to be polar opposites. We sat down for coffee one sunny afternoon to discuss meditation, divinity, hustling and of course, their all natural fiber collection for SS16 (because thankfully, these women do not use polyester!).
What does Temple Tramp even mean?
Sandra (S): Basically, Temple Tramp is us- we are the temple and the tramp. If you look at the logo, you will realize there is a cut and space. We’re trying to show that there is no hierarchy, that our brand is democratic and that our worlds are always interchanging and juxtaposing, being the divine and the hustler all at the same time. As individuals, Sandra and May, we are like Yin and Yang. We look for balance between the spiritual and worldly to get by.
Tell us more about your brand value and what it means to you.
S: It’s a journey we go through together and a lens through which we live our daily lives. The temple anchors us and it’s how we see the world.
May (M): The brand came out of us both interacting together- I could be talking to Sandra and we can be chatting and joking for one half of the conversation and talking about meditation the other half.
S: It’s a balance for us- we love our fancy restaurants, but then a couple of hours later you will find us buying packaged noodles for dinner. We enjoy the material, but it does not define us.
How did you meet?
M: We met 16 years ago in an aerobics class.
M: Yeah, she was standing next to me and then she became my instructor. Long before we started working together, we were workout buddies. And eventually we became friends and 7 years later, work started. We both knew we weren’t going to go for a corporate career.
S: We both have the same set of values and work ethics, which made it very easy to transition from best friends to business partners. In our case, whether we win or lose, our friendship is so much bigger than any gains- we’re family and we help each other out, so there are no power struggles.
M: Even though we are absolutely different, deep down we’re the same mix of “temple” and “tramp”, which is why as friends we are able to work together so easily.
What do you bring to the brand as individuals?
M: There isn’t one thing that Sandra knows how to do that I know how to do, and vice versa- if she knows how to do something, then I know for sure, I cannot do it! In the beginning, we would invade each other’s space. It took us a while to strike the right balance through experience, but we each recognized what the other was good at and we leave it that way.
S: May is the muscle- she makes things happen, she executes. Without her, the business would just be ideas and thoughts left un-actualized.
M: And not to be cute, but this is a fact: Sandra is the mastermind behind the beautiful and creative ideas. Without her, there would be nothing to execute. She really has an artistic mind.
As a borderless brand, is it challenging being based out of Egypt?
M: Brands everywhere face this nowadays- living in one place, producing and selling in another. Egypt was a convenient start. We live here, we know it, but the industry lacks structure. We are not a brand that does mass production either, which means there is a lot of leg work involved, even to find a simple button! You also need to change the mentality of the workforce in order to address the market outside of Egypt. It took time and it was a process, but we can see change little by little, so we try and retain the same partners locally.
When did you get the “A-hah!” moment for the SS16 collection?
S: We were sourcing the material and looking for a specific fabric that would go with the look and the idea for the collection. It was in January that I decided we had to include old school denim in our collection- boyfriend jeans and shirts. A day or two after the photoshoot, I came across a fashion article advocating the move away from stretchy, skinny denim. I had not been monitoring these trends, but it was purely what I felt like designing.
M: She has a great eye for these things; she has an instinct. Sandra almost sees these ideas that do not even exist yet…
What’s behind your choice of color palette for your first and second seasons?
S: It’s us, the black and white! But we added some denim pieces this season. And you will see that the print on the garments stems from thoughts- they may not be said out loud, but these thoughts translate into reactions that can connect or separate us in life. As for the old school denim and light wash, it was really just an aesthetic choice.
What are your favorite items from the SS16 collection?
M: I can’t choose one; they’re like my children! But I really love the print on the “Superstitious” top.
S: I love the denim; they’re like my friends, comforting- but I love the whole collection.
Which fashion week would you like to present at?
S: London Fashion Week…maybe New York Fashion Week too- both! It’s our dream and we will get there. We just don’t want to compromise on the process and skip any steps. We are moving slowly but surely, trying to build the right foundation so we don’t fall. We came to the realization that there are no shortcuts in life.
M: We actually had a sign up at our office that read “Nothing worth having comes easy” and we really believe in that.
