Steve “Sweatpants” Irby shares a story about becoming a photographer and starting Street Dreams Mag.

Claima Stories with Bimma

Steve “Sweatpants” Irby is a photographer and cofounder of Street Dream Mag based in New York.

Steve “Sweatpants” Irby, a photographer and cofounder of Street Dreams Mag from New York City. Working with clients like Coach and Nike, and taking some of last summer’s most iconic photos at Black Live Matter Protests, His work finds the beauty in the everyman and champions the black and brown people that make up New York.

The son of a paralegal and a master electrician, Steve grew up on construction sites, and was encouraged to take after his father, and join the family as an electrician. Although the family business wasn’t his vibe, Steve didn’t stop working, working 5-day jobs, from McDonald's to Sears, with no real direction as to what he was working for. He was working to live as opposed to finding a career.

But when the recession hit, Steve got back to the grind. Working more day-to-day jobs including REI. But it was when he took a job at GameStop that his life started to change. From discovering his photography community on Instagram to starting Street Dreams Mag.

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

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