Creatives in Practice: The Founders of the Brand “Wish Me Luck”

“we both saw success pushing product independently”

Sprung upon us back in November of 2019 was this brand, “Wish Me Luck”. To launch their collection, we saw the brand release trucker hats alongside hoodies and tee’s that read “You can’t find love in HOLLYWOOD”.

Fast forward to March of 2020, we noticed that this brand stumbled onto new leases of inspiration which spawned their latest COLLECTION 02, which encapsulates a sense of nostalgia, with their vintage washed and over-dyed tee’s which resemble concert merch, and font that rings true to the 70s Disco era! We got into the funk with the founders Sam Dameshek and Alex J Ordonez to see what their groove is all about!

Alex, you’re a model right? and Sam, you’re a Creative Director/Photographer – are we right to assume that you may have met on set for a job?

You have assumed correctly! About 3 years ago we met on a 3 day job that put us together in a cabin up in Lake Tahoe! I was newish to this industry, as was he. We instantly shared the same energy and the same ambitious rookie mentality; inevitably we bonded like crazy.

How did this partnership blossom into the brand that is: Wish Me Luck?

S: Alex and I had always shared the same drive as well as a way to compliment one another’s weaknesses. Aside from this we both saw success pushing product independently and it only made sense to put our heads together and create something bigger than the two of us.

Explain the brand name: “Wish Me Luck”.

Put quite simply, starting a brand is f*cking hard man. We both have comfortable streams of income but wanted something to challenge us. It has always been a dream for both of us to start a brand. Alex has created multiple fashion brands independently before we started our own. What was constantly coming out of our mouths while gambling 100’s of hours / thousands of dollars?? WISH ME LUCK! The name to us represents taking on things that have the ability to change your future. We could all use a little luck right?

In this current landscape of overnight brands, how do you find it navigating through a saturated market?

Happy you asked this. One of the #1 principles we abided by is not selling out. I don’t mean being corny etc, I mean not creating something to make overnight cash. From the start we said: this is all about longevity; all about making something with a longterm plan and timeless styles. We want a slow burner not a quick flame.

To what scale do you envision your brand being at? (Is a fashion show in reach?)

The idea of a show sounds incredible but we’re still trying to figure out if that’s the direction we’re heading in. We’re not really sure we want to be a “fashion house.” Our goal is to be a brand that maintains exclusivity but doesn’t fall into the unaffordable side of the designer market. Somewhere in the middle of fast fashion, streetwear, womenswear, and the designer market. Who knows where things will go. Despite clear direction, ambitions are always changing.

Being that you are a new brand, in what quantities do you produce your products?

In Full transparency, we had the option of quantity or quality and we chose quality. In order to stay sufficient from an out of pocket investment while maintaining a certain level of quality we had to choose between: Making 500 shitty shirts or making 100 great quality tees. We want to be proud of what we put out there and thus, we couldn’t sacrifice quality.

Financially, does it require a hefty sum of investment to get started?

Thats something were still trying to figure out to be honest. Its kind of a catch 22… I personally think if you play all your cards correctly and have an insane amount of patience you can build ground up with no external investment.. With that being said, an investment may allow you to have an effect out the gate that could set a very good image for your brand. We are currently self funded and each put a few thousand in; now it’s a matter of what are we willing to wait for and what do we want to do right now! Striking while the iron is out is critical.

Have you experienced any milestones yet?

Yes. I mean It’s hard to see the painting when you’re in it, but the majority of our last drop sold out which shows growth from the first release. I think the growth of any kind is a milestone. Following the drop, we received recognition from Hypebeast and several big named individuals. A lot of our milestones are things only we see, like certain people believing in us that maybe didn’t before.

What is a weird fact about the brand that not many people know?

Every piece of clothing we release has some sort of unique inspiration behind it. A story or some sort of past experience/moment/influence that spawned the design.

What are 3 important pieces of information which consumers should take away from this interview?

We wear our clothing every day with pride, we hope you do as well!

Everything is made to be as nice as we possibly can afford. No budget shit.

We have a lot more coming…

Are there any stores you wish to be stocked in?

Would be cool to see ourselves in Maxfield, patron of the new, Fred Segal. Would also be cool to have our stuff stocked in places that you would absolutely not expect as we don’t want to be predictable.

What other products can we expect to see from you all soon?

Definitely a sweatsuit, dickies, jackets, button-ups, and anything else we can brand haha.

What are your next steps for the brand?

Our goal is to get the brand to a place where we can be producing new pieces regularly as they come to mind. Most people don’t realize how hard that is. You need a strong infrastructure, a very strong audience, and a lot of ideas. We’re almost there 🙂