We recently connected with Dion Lewis and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dion thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

The idea of the Photos in thesis (Pit) Walks derived from a New York brainstorming session about wanting to create an addition to Inpuristform. Taking photography, which became something I grew to love over my time of living in LA & wanting to bridge that gap through the brand. Storytelling has always been apart of the how & why I partake in any creative endeavors that fulfill me. I became familiar with photo walks in general, but wanted to add a unique & authentic spectrum that would open the minds of those that choose to participate and want to express further individualism photographically. It only took a weekend in May to construct how we would go about creating a photo walking program through Inpuristform c/o 88 & Co. that is subject based, limited spaced, & community driven where we are in control of the visual narratives of our respective perspectives.

From laying out the ground work with the team at 88 & Co. Max Wonders & Cranston Mills, it became apparent that documentation was going to be vital for the spreading of awareness of such a concept & project. I reached out to Christian Coleman & Jah as they are in the midst of formulating their media company of ‘New Bedrock’ and knew upon our initial conversation that the idea itself had the support of a cohesive unit with one goal in mind. Preparing for the first Pit walk, which took place in Harlem on May 27th, felt as though it went from iPhone notes to meetings to reality in such a short amount of time yet was seamless in its entire execution. It took embedding the program, creating the socials & flyer/invitations to then spreading the word organically for it to be the success it was. I’m most grateful for those that chose to participate in that initial photowalk as we trooped around Harlem on the subject of renaissance. It felt as though we were the living embodiment of that as opposed to reading about the past. We are looking forward to our next walk taking place on Juneteenth weekend on the Lower east side!

Dion, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Dion Lewis & I’m a creative cavalier of sorts & the founder of Inpuristform-IPF. IPF serves as a lifestyle brand in which we are seeing all things as they are though the experiences of the human connection. I founded the brand in 2015 & have released clothes via capsules & various pop-ups periodically. It stemmed from my interest in style more than fashion & wanting to create things that people can relate to & connect through because it’s been shown that we have more in common than we actually differ. The goal hasn’t been to solve any problems, yet create an outlet for authentic expression & representation. I’ve been the proof that you don’t have to have a background in the field in order for you to create a business if it’s something of genuine interest & pure intentions with proper translation.

What sets us apart from others is that we move at our own pace & have a pulse on reality as well as the culture that we add value too. What I’m most proud of is the foundation that’s been built over the brand’s existence as it always feels a new. Even with conducting pop-ups & drops, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what inpuristform will ultimately be for those in the future. For this reason, I’m excited that the Pit Walks photography program becoming a new branch & it’s immediate attraction to those who choose to participate has became an immediate reality from the process of thinking, seeing, & doing.

The work we present speaks to the core of who we are as humans & doesn’t discriminate the thoughts of what could rather than what just is. Unfiltered, uncanny, no preservatives type of work that shows the intention of timelessness.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I come from a basketball background so pivoting has been prevalent since my youth. I’m originally born in Chicago & came to Harlem when I was 7. From then on until I was 18, I moved to LA & most recently lived in Ghana, West Africa for some time in 2022. So I’ve been privy to a lot of different backgrounds & various situations. Having all these different experiences are what shaped me to be the man of presence. I credit my mother, Julia, with having the foresight & will that each time I was exposed to a new environment that I would embrace that experience rather than resent it & not appreciate the support of different communities as I received. I’m grateful to have built solid friendships & brotherhoods with those that have known me from pivoting from all those various places. It was being able to adapt & adjust through remaining authentic & aware with faith that I was able to make anywhere home.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m grateful for the ability to learn from each crossroad I’ve encountered on my path because life is my favorite curriculum. A lesson that I had to unlearn was simply having high expectations. Over the years I’ve been in various scenarios & situations which I’ve now come to the conclusion that they were all literal test. I found myself listening to the word of others & holding them to that with my blinders on. We all have been brought in this world on different morals, principles, & values so not being cognitive of those behaviors proved to be one of my harshest lessons learned. Having now no expectations in anything & rather shifting the primary focus to being actively present has been the best counter to this lesson which has granted me more freedom for learning.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ipf-us.com/pages/pit-of-pure-program
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lewthemessiah/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@inpuristform3111

Image Credits
All images shot by Dion Lewis c/o 88 & Co. IPF