Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Diaz
Hi Christian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all started at the Lone Star Rally in Galveston 2023. I noticed all the shirts that people were selling and I realized there was not anyone selling shirts that showed pride to the south, specifically the Dirty South. I spoke with my wife about my idea and we started to brainstorm names for the brand. We went through a few names before landing on Dirty South Apparel. After having our name the next step was coming up with a logo and what other way to represent the Dirty South and Houston than the H, no matter where you go whether its in texas or out of state most people know the H. Once we had the logo we started to brain storm on designs that we can have made for the brand. I wanted the designs to be something men and women would like to wear. We got in contact with a designer and we ended up with Dirty South Viclas, Dirty South Baggers and Dirty South Divas. I would like to add that none of this would’ve been possible with out the help of my business partners; my beautiful wife Stephanie, my mother in law and father in law Velia and Art. In all honesty i doubt this would have been possible without Velia and Art they motivated my wife and I to move forward with this they have invested time and money to make sure this brand is where it is now. We are no where close to where we want to be but with out of town shows and some out of state shows coming up it is looking promising. Today we have a total of 5 designs with more coming. Our next big shows are the Viclas Bike Show in San Antonio, Lake Ozarks Rally in Missouri, and where the idea first was born Lone Star rally in Galveston. San Antonio is where we first debut our shirts we didnt have them for sale yet but the love we got from the people of San Antonio was surreal. Being a vendor at the Lone Star Rally where the idea came from is something out of a movie. The four people that made this happen are myself Chris, my wife Steph and my in laws Velia and Art, but i cannot stress enough or even beging to express how much graditude I have for Steph, Velia and Art. I truly believed it was just a silly idea that will never come to fruition. Also all the love we have gotten from the biker and low rider community is unreal and we are forever grateful for them.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think starting a bussines is never easy and there will always be obsticals that come along like conflicting scheduals since the four of us have full time jobs we have to try to coordinate for shows and meetings for future designs. Also trying to find designers and vendors comes with its challenges but having a team of 4 helps alot since its not just one person taking on all the responsibility.
As you know, we’re big fans of Dirty South Apparel. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a Houston based brand all four owners are born and raised in Houston, we love our city. We are known for being a tight nit family. We just wanted to have something we are proud of and wear with pride. Anytime we see someone wearing one of our shirts it brings us joy. I would like people to know we are more than just a brand we are a family, we also try to help the community as much as possible even though we are not a big brand we try to donate when possible.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice to anyone just starting out would be take the leap. It seems scary to start something from nothing but if you have an idea and a good support system go for it. We ourselves are a fairly new brand but the support we have for each other really makes a difference. Starting a business isnt easy but my thinking is if someone else can do it why cant I.
Pricing:
- Medium – Extra Large shirts $25
- Hats $25
- Koozies $5
- Sweat Towels $7
- 2XL-3XL shirts $28
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dirtysouthtx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtysouth_apparel_/?igsh=MTMyenlicXZnOXp3eA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556657086907&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
All pictures were taken by Steph
