Don’t Die Wondering Review — My experience in researching exclusive fashion events
If you are involved in the fashion industry then you probably know by experience how difficult it is to get invited to exclusive events. Most of the times you need to have the right connections to get informed about brand launching parties or exclusive gatherings. In the present article we did a little research and came across Don’t Die Wondering, a discreet community that will allow you to get invited to these exclusive events. If attending big and luxuries fashion events is your dream then keep reading.
The struggle of getting invitations
I always had a keen interest in fashion. It has always been very exciting for me to learn about designers with new ideas that shape the industry and I follow regular updates from fashion bloggers, watching them experience a variety of benefits, like brand products or invitations to glamorous events like fashion shows and awards. For this reason, I always thought that fashion bloggers have a very exciting life. Little did I know how much effort and work it needs to actually enjoy the perks of this lifestyle.
In order to get to the bottom of this, I did some research and asked a friend of mine who is trying to establish herself in the fashion industry. It has been a struggle for her to get noticed in her field and to get closer to the right people. Apparently, the field is overflown by new bloggers who see this as an exploiting opportunity to get free products from brands and are not into this out of true passion.
Strong follower base
Truth is, anyone can become a fashion influencer if they would want to. You just need an Instagram account and a strong follower base. Creating a blog also takes five minutes with Wordpress. The tools someone has available to start contributing content are endless. The challenging part comes afterward when you are trying to establish yourself as a professional.
Love for fashion
Whether you are a designer, a photographer or an influencer there is one thing important in this field. You must love fashion. Only then you can devote the time and effort needed to be successful. If you love the industry, you will be able to distribute valuable content to your niche and this will generate you the appropriate traffic on your blog or social media.
Sometimes it’s hard to compete against a strong Instagram follower base. You might even feel disappointed when they will get the invitation to that event you are trying so hard to receive for months. My friend told me that it took her quite some time before she started connecting with important people in the industry. Ultimately, getting noticed comes down to these two things: Valuable content and meaningful connections.
Don’t Die Wondering
But how could you meet like-minded people that can help you in your journey since you are not so well connected yet? Trying to find answers to this question I stumbled upon Don’t Die Wondering. DDW is a discreet online society for celebrities, socialites and influencers from the fashion, music and art industry. They collaborate with PR Agencies to bring to their members invitations for exclusive events in New York and London.
Apparently, anyone can apply for membership from the website or by sending an email to the committee. The committee accepts only 30% of the applications being careful not to disclose its members’ credentials. From the moment you get accepted, you are able to get exclusive invites to fashion shows, red carpet film premieres, magazine parties, awards, and many others.
That sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? That is what I also thought at first. For this reason, I sent an email to them asking for more details about their project and procedures. They got back to me with information about the CEO and some examples of events they have organized.
Don’t Die Wondering — Background
Antoin Commane is an Irish-English entrepreneur and investor, who has been featured in the Evening Standard, BBC News, The Times, and Tatler magazine amongst others. He became successful with his nightclub business in London, whose venues frequently visited well-established names in the industry, like Prince Henry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rita Ora, and Ed Westwick.
That’s where the idea of DDW came to life. He has 200,000 followers on Instagram and he’s a strong influencer on the space. Having met with celebrities and influencing personas in his nightclubs, Antoin wanted to create a place where members would meet inspirational figures and creative business opportunities. Rumors have it that amongst the founding members are top actors, models, and influencers of great magnitude.
I would expect that an initiative like this would be more widely known in the luxury industry. After all, who wouldn’t want to be part of a community of like-minded people and grow their connections?
But it seems that DDW is a very novel project and its founders prefer getting exposure through word-of-mouth and references from existing members. In this way, the exclusivity of the community is ensured, a community that is composed of individuals that provide actual value in the industry.
DDW BAFTA Pre-party
After thorough research on exclusive events and how someone can get an invitation, I came across the recent BAFTA pre-party organized by the Don’t Die Wondering team.
The first annual DDW glamorous event was held in February at Ella Chanta. Amongst the guests were leaders from fashion music and film who enjoyed Perrier-Jouet vintage rose champagne while dancing to the rhythms of Dj Jez Perreira of Annabel’s Club.
As you can see in the picture, some of the attendees included Todd Dorigo, Lady Camilla Beresford, Stuart Watts, and Jack Ellis.
In addition, DDW organized an amazing Film Premiere and an exciting evening with creations of the artist Lily Lewis. Photos of these events can be found on their Facebook account.
Normally to get an invitation to these events you would need to have a publicist or a PR agency. Many people, however, do not have the necessary connections. So, they are left out of a chance to get noticed.
How can DDW help you
I am not myself a fashion blogger. However, the way I see it, there are many opportunities in this industry, albeit you have connections. My friend is a fashion designer and she met her business co-founder in a brand launch party. So ultimately, you need to meet the right person at the right moment. Building connections enhances the chances of you meeting that person.
A project like DDW can provide you with exactly that. If you are a professional in the industry or even a really committed fashion-lover, you can definitely benefit from DDW’s events and community. Apply for membership by visiting their website on https://www.dontdiewondering.com and if accepted you can begin your journey to your success.
On their website, you can, also, find many articles about lifestyle and interviews with people of influence in case you want to stay up to date with the latest news on the industry. From there you can follow them on social media to stay informed about the events they are planning.
This is a big opportunity for individuals who work in fashion, to expose themselves to influential people. So be yourselves and send them a detailed email about who you are and what makes you unique in this field. What do you have to offer in this industry? Share your work with them and sit tight as you take your career into the next phase.
