SNS & Hennessy meets: DLT

Brunch in Sneakers

Bringing you good food, great music and even better vibes; DLT have grown to become a household name when it comes to events in London. Putting a big emphasis on fashion & music, they have been curating some of the biggest & best experiences for several years, with last year being their biggest yet. Expanding into other parts of the world, they achieved some great milestones which included throwing events across Africa & North America, curating a 4 day international event in Malta, collaborating with other international events brands such as Everyday People, and working with global superstars such as Wizkid & KAYTRANADA. We caught up with the team to discuss their journey, their achievements, their relationship with SNS, and what we can expect to see in 2023.

SNS : What was the inspiration behind DLT and how did the journey start?

DLT : The inspiration behind DLT started after Ant, MK, Ife and I got back from a year of living and working in New York. That year exposed us to the brunch and day party culture over there; where young professionals could come together, dressed in what makes them comfortable to enjoy good vibes, music and drinks during the day. Upon our return, we quickly realised there wasn't anything remotely similar to this in the UK. What we were used to in the UK was nightclubs that required you to dress in a certain way to have a chance of getting in, so you couldn't really let your hair down. So, we decided to create a space where people like us could go and be themselves with no judgement. Our first event was in 2016 and it's been nothing but good vibes ever since.

SNS : What were the early stages like and how have things developed over the years?

DLT : It was difficult in the early stages because the brunch/day party concept was very new to not only venue owners but our customers too. Trying to convince venues to allow us to throw this type of party where people get bottomless drinks for 2 hours and then getting customers to buy tickets to this new concept wasn't an easy sell. After the success of the first event, things have grown very quickly in which we are thankful for. We started out doing 200/300 capacity events in London, we are now doing 2000+ capacity events in both London and abroad now too (Malta, Nigeria, Ghana, for example).

SNS : What would you say are the biggest/proudest achievements to date?

DLT : Our proudest achievement to date was the great success of DLT MALTA 2022. We managed to curate a 4-day event in Malta in which we had over 2000 attendees. This was special to us as there were many other events happening abroad during the summer, but our audience chose to trust us and come to our event. Another achievement we are proud of is that we won the Creative Business of the Year award at the first ever GUAP GALA 2022. It feels great to know all our hard work is being noticed.

SNS : Is there anything on your radar that you would still like to achieve in the next few years?

DLT : We want DLT to become a globally recognised brand, so we want to continue our foray into different countries. We also want to do more in the entertainment industry (music and film) so watch this space…

SNS : With DLT growing so fast & developing into something much more than just a day party, how has the team has grown. Who is part of the team and what parts do they play in pushing DLT forward?

DLT : As DLT has grown, it is only right that the team grows as well to ensure high standards are maintained. Apart from the 4 founders mentioned earlier, we have added Patricia our Marketing Manager, Feji who handles our social media, Ali our Creative Director, Misha our publicist, Chris our Team Coordinator, our Digital Marketing Consultant Rami, Aura who handles our music programming, Will who’s in charge of brand partnerships and Lea our intern! That is the dream team that makes it all come together.

SNS : Will/Chris/Aura, you mentioned that you guys have deeper connections to SNS, being so local & working with SNS previously - how did those connections come about, and how have you seen these develop over the past few years? Are there any similarities in the way both SNS & DLT have developed in your eyes?

DLT : local & working with SNS previously - how did those connections come about, and how have you seen these develop over the past few years? Are there any similarities in the way both SNS & DLT have developed in your eyes?

Chris : For me personally, I have been shopping at SNS for years! Back when the till was near the front entrance. One of my elders, Judah introduced me to Bryan and Connor. A lot of great work has happened since then, from editorials and collaborations with 1FIGURES. The development of the relationship has been natural, Connor and I are bros, that’s my guy, we speak about things beyond just SNS and business. So I’m happy that friendship was birthed from some great work. DLT has been on the rise since its inception, and it’s been amazing to see it go from strength to strength in real time. The relationship with SNS has been authentic because the team and brand understand that communities can coexist and elevate one another. There are many more years of greatness upon us.

Will : I used to work across the road at Present and I’ve seen & spoken to all the different teams at SNS London from the very beginning. Working in stores like Present and SNS you have an understanding and a hub, you do lunch together, you get drinks after work, and it feels like a bit of a family. I’ve always been intentional about the relationships I’ve kept with SNS as it’s my closest sneaker/streetwear store as a Hackney local and I do believe in supporting businesses that are rooted in culture and community. SNS continues to support myself and friends in so many different ways. It's a really beautiful thing we have. We’ve all elevated somewhat in responsibilities in our day-to-day roles and there’s a good amount of crossover with regards to how we can do great work that’s meaningful and I guess we are now in decision making positions, so we are able to do things that we hoped for once upon a time.

With SNS and DLT there are several similarities, the first being both are powered by communities and literally depend on them to exist to be very honest. Both understand what it means to serve those that support you and give back which I think now is one of the most important things both are focusing on. Safe to say both SNS and DLT don’t mind a party ha!

Aura: My connection actually goes as far back as working at SNS for a summer I think 2013 or 14. Which is how I originally know Mimi. During that period sneaker culture was quite different to what it is now, the community was smaller for sure, getting your hands on kicks was way easier too, and the driving force behind it was comparing and sharing a love & interest of kicks. Up until SNS came about we didn’t really have a concept store that was quite embedded in the community besides 1948.

Fast forward a couple of years and our relationships have blossomed quite organically, introducing the team to the team at SNS, but then also working on some of the store activations, with RBC and AAA doing SNS Radio too.

SNS and DLT’s organic growth has been amazing to see, as I’ve had the opportunity to see it from the outside and inside. Community plays an amazing way how both have grown; without the people we don’t exist. Friendship, togetherness, comradeship and a mutual love/respect for kicks has really brought it full circle for us, which allowed both communities to create a great ecosystem for us. I know people may think partying and kicks, but they’ve always been hand in hand, it’s authentic culture. History has always shown that when it comes to “popular culture”.

SNS : Also, in previous conversations you mentioned how dressing well is one of the features that your crowd brings - how does sneaker/fashion culture play a part in the brunches you throw and creating the right type of energy amongst your guests?

Dressing well is a form of good manners, that means the whole preparation of grooming well and presenting your best self when you’re at an event. If you know our team members well, we love fashion here at DLT especially Aura, Chris and Will whom are regulars at SNS. I think this ideology derives from our upbringing; all the inspiring people were those with fresh garments and extra fresh sneakers. We’ve just taken this on and added our own spin.

SNS : Over the past year your relationship with Hennessy has also grown increasingly with more & more presence at your events. What does Hennessy mean to the culture in London & your community in particular?

DLT : Hennessy has always been a big part of the culture, especially when it comes to music & celebration. Whether that’s down to it’s appearances in music videos & film scenes or seeing family have great times at gatherings/parties, it holds heavy presence within our community, and has done for a long while. As a brand Hennessy is held in high regard so to be able to have presence at our events means guests are in good spirits & really ready to party knowing that Hennessy are playing their part in adding to the experience.

SNS : And how does DLT manage to encapsulate Hennessy’s beliefs such as progress through culture?

DLT : The progress that our culture as a whole has been achieving in recent times is amazing - the music, the fashion, and many other creative avenues that we are seeing people from our culture & community excel in is so inspiring and it’s great to see the legacies being created. If we can continue to add to this legacy through the day party experience here in London, creating more international moments and being able to bring out some of the biggest talent from Africa, the Caribbean & UK, then we’ll be happy.

SNS : What would you say are other features of DLT for the people who may not have heard of DLT or attended a DLT event before?

DLT : DLT is an experience that combines good food, good music and great vibes in one setting. If you’re lucky, you may just be at one of the events where we have some of the best UK & international artists & DJs perform! For example, this year when we brought the DLT vibe to Malta, we curated an international experience where we had the likes of WSTRN, Rema, Shenseea, KAYTRANDA and none other than global superstar Wizkid take the stage.

SNS : And finally, you briefly touched on goals that you want to achieve in the future & where you want to take things over the next few years, but what can we expect to see over the next few months? Are there any gems you can spill/tease?

DLT : DLT is a forever expanding brand, the possibilities are endless. There are a lot of avenues and ventures we would like to explore in the future. We’ve recently just got back from Africa where we hosted events in Nigeria and Ghana, whilst also hosting our annual Anti New Years in London simultaneously. So now we look forward to keeping the momentum and starting this year with a bang, so make sure you’ve got a sharp eye on our Social media for announcements…