VCU alum’s blog showcases Richmond’s style

Allison Landry

Contributing Writer

In April 2009, the first photo was posted on the blog Dirty Richmond. Today, Dirty Richmond has more than 5,000 followers.

A Tumblr blog centered on style and fashion, Dirty Richmond started out as a hobby based on the diverse fashion culture of Richmond. The owner of the blog, Brian McDaniel, had no idea how popular it would quickly become.

“It was amazing. I felt like all of my dreams were actually coming true,” McDaniel said. “Everything seemed to be falling into place. Some people will even reblog a picture I’ve taken of them and say things like, ‘Look I made it into Dirty Richmond!’ as if it was a huge deal to them and I really value that.”

Dirty Richmond bonds a local community together by connecting VCU students and Richmond locals to a common interest in fashion.

“I became attracted to the blog’s concept because I could scroll through and see people and places I recognize,” said Lucy Cairns, a VCU student. “The simplicity and professionalism of the blog made me feel like I was looking at fashion magazines, but really they were just pictures of my peers on the way to class. (The blog) really shows how colorful Richmond is.”

McDaniel’s interest in fashion goes back to his toddler days attending church. McDaniel wasn’t fond of the attire and said his interest in fashion stemmed from the Sunday school outfits he resented as a child.

“Sunday’s were always an all-day affair, or at least it felt like it,” he said. “I would have to wear dress shoes and a suit and tie and I absolutely hated it, but now this is how I’m dressing on a daily basis.”

It wasn’t until McDaniel came to VCU that he realized how he could use his interest in fashion.

“(Fashion) is kind of like a book cover in a way … it can really define a person’s identity,” McDaniel said. “There are just so many different people in Richmond, especially at VCU, with a variety of different styles and I think that aspect really attracted me to (the university).”

McDaniel entered VCU without any background in fashion, only knowing that he wanted to be a part of the fashion scene. Like many students, he explored different majors, but chose to begin as a business major.

When McDaniel returned to Richmond from a study abroad trip in 2009, he began to collaborate with his friend Elizabeth Bell on a name for a blog that would fulfill his goal: to create one place that would define Richmond’s style.

Dirty Richmond made the cut as the official name of McDaniel’s startup, bringing the theme together with the tagline: “Where the city is dirty, but the people are not.”

In 2010, shortly after his graduation, McDaniel obtained a certificate in nonprofit management at the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU.

Connections made through Dirty Richmond have proven to be important aspects of McDaniel’s success. He believes the bonds he has with Richmond and VCU will play a significant role in his future success.

“The city is such a great place to start anything, and I really couldn’t be any more appreciative of that,” McDaniel said.

Recently, McDaniel was hired to a full-time position working as the creative content coordinator at Ledbury, a Richmond-based company concentrating on men’s shirts.

“They are working on expanding their team and they really needed someone to work on the blog, so I thought this was perfect,” McDaniel said.