We headed to Seattle to meet Christine Geronimo, founder of Midnight Supply Company and the visionary behind Colorways, a summit elevating women of color in the decorated apparel industry.
In a raw, unfiltered conversation with our Deco expert Dan Bush, she shares what it takes to build, lead, and push the industry forward, on her own terms.
Dan: So I guess we could start with some basic questions of how you got started in the industry.
Christine: Yeah. I started as an intern in the Seattle music scene, first at Sub Pop Records, and then working with Macklemore.
That led into a series of Kickstarter campaigns. For one of Macklemore’s music videos, I was shipping hundreds of six-foot posters myself, going back and forth to the post office before tools like ShipStation existed.
From there, I got recommended to other artists like Blue Scholars, and started helping with merch, e-commerce, and working with print shops for album releases and shows.
That’s really how I got into the merchandise side of things.
Dan: So you basically got into the industry for free tickets to shows.
Christine: Yes
Dan: Are you a musician or artist yourself?
Christine: I’ve played drums since sixth grade and picked up guitar later, but I never wanted to pursue it professionally.
When I was applying for internships, I reached out to anything music-related, studios, labels, record stores, just to get my foot in the door. I’ve always loved being around creative people, so working with musicians felt natural.
I kept my head down, stayed a fly on the wall, and learned a lot from what was happening behind the scenes.
Dan: And through that, doing merch, you connected with the previous owners of the shop?
Christine: Yeah, through the Seattle music scene. They had just bought an existing print shop, and I ran into one of the owners at a bar he had. He asked what I was up to.
At the time, I was working at a corporate merch company as an account manager, but when the opportunity to run a print shop came up, I jumped on it. I wasn’t into the cubicle life.
The shop was a block away, so I went in on my lunch break, interviewed, came back, put in my two weeks, and started managing it.
Dan: The pandemic hit hard, especially with tour merch. How did you fill the gap?
Christine: The entertainment side stopped completely, so we had to pivot. The state came out with a list of essential businesses, from construction to, obviously our health care. And then the cannabis was on the list, so I partnered with a friend who owned a farm and launched a collaborative T-shirt. That opened the door to more cannabis clients and helped keep us going.
We also landed one of our biggest orders through a snowboarding account, which carried us for a while. Production was tough, everyone spaced out, one person on press, moving hoodies all day, but we made it work.
Dan: When things picked back up, did your old clients come back?
Christine: Yeah, a lot of them did. We also brought in new accounts from the marketing we did during that time.
That said, the music scene doesn’t feel like it used to. When I was interning, local artists were selling out bigger venues, and it doesn’t really feel like that anymore.
Dan: So no hesitation?
Christine: None at all.
Dan: How much of a shock was it going from the cubicle to running production?
Christine: It was a more creative environment, less corporate, which is what I wanted. But it was also a reset. The shop had failed before, so I had to rebuild everything, processes, systems, even the client base. It was challenging, but in a good way.
Dan: And at some point, they offered to sell you the shop?
Christine: Yeah. I was on a bonus structure, had a strong year, and they told me they wanted to sell me the company. It was exciting and scary, but I knew I had to go for it.
So that was in 2018. Then in 2019, we made our biggest move, relocating from North Seattle to our current facility. Shortly after, the pandemic hit, and since then, it’s been about rebuilding and rethinking how to structure the business.
It was a moment where the local scene was really thriving. Now, a lot of the people I met ten plus years ago have become clients, so in a way, it’s all come full circle.
Dan: How has your experience as a woman, and a woman of color, been in the screen printing industry?
Christine: It’s been challenging. It’s a very white, male-dominated space. Early on, I didn’t feel it as much, but over time, I realized how underrepresented we are, and that’s what led me to create Colorways.
At trade shows and events, it became clear how little representation there was. I wanted to build something that didn’t exist, a space where women of color feel seen, heard, and part of a community.
Dan: If you had to give the elevator pitch for Colorways?
Christine: Colorways is a two-day summit focused on women of color in the decorated apparel industry. It’s about representation, access, and opportunity, from panels to behind-the-scenes tours of manufacturers, distributors, and top print shops.
A lot of people don’t get those opportunities, and the goal is to open that door, build community, and create experiences that help people grow in the industry. Now we’re in our third year, and it’s growing.
We've been building it as we go, listening to feedback, evolving the format, and making it a safe space. Today, it’s about highlighting women of color while also inviting allies to be part of the conversation.
Dan: So it’s educational, inspirational, and a place to build community?
Christine: Yeah. Day one is panels, breakout sessions, and a creative workshop. Then day two is tours, manufacturers, distributors, and print shops.
Dan: Has it grown the way you expected?
Christine: It’s given me a platform to talk about these issues and bring more visibility to the lack of representation. That’s been the biggest impact.
We’ve kept it intentionally small because of the tours, but it’s helped build a strong, engaged community. Going forward, I’d love to expand, more online content, more conversations, and potentially bringing it into trade shows through panels or speaking opportunities.
Dan: What advice would you give to women, especially women of color, coming up in the industry?
Christine: The biggest thing I remind myself is, at the end of the day, it’s just T-shirts. There’s a grind culture in print shops, but you have to take care of your mental health first. Don’t stress everything, because that’s what allows you to show up every day.
Dan: I wish I’d heard that 20 years ago.
Christine: Yeah, someone told me that early on, and it stuck with me.
Dan: What excites you most about the future, for Midnight Supply or Colorways?
Christine: I'm most excited for our growth. Getting our name out there, working more with our local community, and building real relationships. We are nothing without those relationships, the shirts are almost secondary.
I’ve built connections over years before people became clients, and that’s what drives the business.
Dan: Well, congratulations on ten years.
Thank you. And… smash the patriarchy.
Christine: Let’s go.
