Dria Murphy’s platform focuses on wellness and self-care. She is a wellness curator, content creator, and founder of by dria and Alise Collective. By dria is a lifestyle website and membership service that features an edit of wellness and beauty products selected by Dria after extensive review, while Alise Collective provides brand experience marketing.
Dria spends her summers in Montauk and curates the wellness program at Hero Beach. She recently appeared on “The Today Show” to discuss summer wellness topics and has partnered with Blade’s Streamliner to offer passengers top-of-the-line amenities through by dria. In a recent conversation with Dria, we delved into her background, by dria, and her love for matcha and Montauk.
Could you tell us a little about your background and how you started in wellness, beauty, and fashion?
I started working in PR at fashion brands like Calvin Klein, Topshop, and Ralph Lauren, and I then led communications at a fashion tech startup. One day, I walked into the office, and they informed us it would be our last day. It was very unexpected, and I was devastated, but it ultimately led me to start my own business because it pushed me to reevaluate my career desires, which put a lot into perspective. It was definitely scary to go out on my own; any entrepreneur will tell you it can be difficult, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Alise Collective is now eight years old. It started with a major focus on PR but has expanded as the wellness industry has grown. Our efforts are now focused on brand experiences; this includes, but is not limited to, brand collaborations, live events, thought leadership, and curated gifting. We figure out creative ways to allow founders to share their stories and consumers to test the products.
This summer, we created wellness programming in the Hamptons at Hero Beach Club all season long. It brings the best fitness studios from New York City and wellness brands like Koia, Essentia, Pop and Bottle, and The Outset together to provide a well-rounded wellness experience. It’s an exciting way for people to encounter products, experience their benefits firsthand, and, most importantly, connect with a community of other like-minded people.
Congrats on by dria’s success! What inspired you to launch this project, and can you tell us more about the concept?
I’ve been passionate about wellness since long before it was trending. It is so important to my routine and to my identity. I love trying new products, experiencing new treatments, chatting with experts, and educating myself. I was getting inundated with people asking me for my recommendations, which made me think about how I could share this information at scale. That’s when by dria was born.
By dria has taken off more than I could have hoped. We’re all about breaking through the noise and prioritizing the quality of products over quantity, so members get one or two recommendations for a skin cream instead of 20.
In order to do this, we have two different membership tiers. The first is $35 a month and gives members curated product recommendations, invites to exclusive events, and access to our community. The second tier is $225 and offers all of that, plus one-on-one consultations with me, personalized recommendations, and VIP status at our events. No matter the level, the goal is the same: helping someone who wants to live a happier, healthier life while saving time and money by educating them about products and services that really work. To learn more, go to bydria.com
Can you talk about the importance of working with brands you believe in?
There are so many brands it’s overwhelming, and if it’s overwhelming for me, who’s in the industry, I can’t imagine how confusing it can be for the average consumer. So, it’s important that I prioritize the quality of every product I share with my members. I truly test and stand behind the brands I am working with.
Tell us about your summer collaboration with Blade and the Survival Dopp Kits you’ve curated.
This summer, by dria announced a partnership with Blade, the leader in urban air mobility, to curate the exclusive by dria x Blade Dopp Kit for their new service, the Hamptons Streamliner. By dria came in to elevate the experience even more by curating exclusive wellness-focused dopp kits valued at more than $460.
You can visit bydria.com/blade to find out which products made the by dria cut and how to easily implement them into your routine.
You curate the wellness program at Hero Beach. What’s coming up this August?
I love curating this wellness program every year.
In August, we have some personal favorites, Erika Bloom Pilates and Pilates by Beth, along with Soto Method and Mad Method. We are also bringing out some new pilates studios from New York City, Terra and Core Culture, to teach some mat classes that I am excited about. The program has wellness amenities, including the Outset mineral sunscreen spf, Essentia alkaline waters, Livon Labs lypo-spheric vitamin C, and Koia protein and nutrition shakes.
It’s summer in Montauk. What does your perfect day look like?
I love to start my morning with a matcha outside on my deck and take in the peace and quiet. I have been spending my summers in Montauk for eight years now, and I find being in nature during this time really recharges me. A beach walk is almost always mandatory with my dog Matchee. We love to walk down Ditch Plains, and I sometimes do a mini sculpt workout on the beach.
I tend to be a creature of habit and like to visit my favorite spots on repeat since I only get a few months of the year to enjoy them. That means matcha at Left Hand, breakfast at Joni’s or Ditch Witch, produce at Balsam and Amber Waves, lunch at Duryea’s, and dinner at Crow’s Nest, Salivar’s, or il Buco del Mar. I also love to entertain on my deck with cheese from Cavaniola’s or local fish from Gosman’s.
