Photography Credits: @kenkwaku.jr
Located in the heart of CNN’s Best Town To Visit in Richmond, Virginia, the WhatchaNeed clothing store, located at 1509 E. Main Street, is one of the veins pumping new life into the city. The owner, Keith Crump, opened the store in downtown Richmond in 2022.
Opening the storefront was a long journey from his start in 2012 when he pushed the merchandise out of the first apartment he shared with his best friend at the time. The clothing line started as an e-commerce-based business inspired by the same blueprint that Karmaloop had with smaller brands.
Inspired by nostalgia and simple design from the likes of Stussy and Ralph Lauren, the WhatchaNeed clothing store emphasizes dedication and loyalty to its community. The brand’s motto, “All We Need,” represents how the community needs each other and that no one man or woman is above the other.
WhatchaNeed expresses its value of community through nostalgic designs relating to hip-hop, basketball, and pop culture. Many of the clothing designs reflect Keith’s influences growing up from some of his earlier inspirations, such as DragonBall Z, Marvel Comics, Dipset, and the iconic Jesus Shuttlesworth character in He Got Game.
WhatchaNeed was a part of the Love Day basketball League at Varina High School every Tuesday and Thursday until August 1st. Keith Crump donated fresh sweatsuits to his alma mater’s basketball and football teams at Varina High School this year. The WhatchaNeed team also provided much-needed gear to the Armstrong High School wrestling team.
Their work in the local community also caught the eye of people outside of the city. They’ve also garnered support from major artists out of Richmond, Virginia, such as Younger Brother, Monday Night, Chaz French, and Red Bull’s own Peter $un based in Los Angeles rocking the clothing line on social media.
Photography Credits: @kenkwaku.jr
In a city where it has lost some of its more prominent malls and the COVID-19 pandemic forcing small businesses to close shop, WhatChaNeed prides itself on providing the most unique gear any resident or visitor can get. The store has over 10k followers on Instagram @whatchaneed .
Visit the website whatchaneed.com
Photography Credits: @kenkwaku.jr
Written by Justin Sexton
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