Lifting up women of color in the screen-printing industry

In September of 2024, we celebrated the inaugural Colorways, a two-day summit for women of color in the decorated apparel industry. The event was hosted by Midnight Supply Company, a Filipina-owned print shop in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Colorways was produced with help from GRAPHICS PRO magazine, M&R Companies, S&S Activewear, Industry Print Shop, Inktavo, Arvin Goods, and AS Colour.

We focused on attracting a majority of women from the West Coast, with a few attendees traveling from Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. There were women representing various roles in management, administration, production, and brand owners, each bringing valuable perspectives to the discussions.

Colorways 2024

On day one of Colorways, we kicked off with a tour of the SanMar distribution warehouse in Sparks, Nevada. Although S&S was a main sponsor of the summit, their Reno, Nevada, facility was closed for renovations. The tour provided insight into the logistics of getting a T-shirt from this warehouse to our shops. Given that most attendees were from the West Coast, I felt it was crucial to see the warehouse that we order from every day. The 610,000-square-foot facility tour was led by Gavin Owsley, general manager of the Nevada facility.

After witnessing the picking and packing processes, getting a sneak peek of new products, and gaining a better understanding of their automated systems, we headed on a shop tour at Stitches Clothing Company. To welcome us into their shop, the staff were all dressed in our Colorways tees, designed by Stevie Shao, a Chinese-American artist from Seattle. With multiple M&R automatic presses, a couple of I-Images, and an auto-reclaiming system, it’s clear that Amber Solorzano, director of operations/finance/marketing, runs a tight ship. It was inspiring to see the daily operations of a shop focused on supporting contract clients exclusively.

Day two was focused on panel discussions and a poster printing workshop. Panel 1: “Breaking Barriers” featured myself, Kesney Muhammad from Big Printing, and Kendall Sours from Inktavo. We talked about what it’s been like being a woman in this male-dominated industry, personal stories of discrimination, and how advocates can make a difference. Panel 2: “Diverse Perspectives” featured Tony Diaz from Industry Print Shop, Valerie Solomon of Night Owls, and Chris Brown from Bella Canvas. This discussion explored the panelists’ backgrounds and upbringings, receiving support, as well as building community, and their successes as people of color in their respective roles despite challenges.

Panel 3: “Sustainability” featured Laurel Hudson from Allmade Apparel, Reina Acab from Même Kidswear, and Dustin Winegardner of Arvin Goode. This was an important conversation about our responsibility to do better, given our industry is a top contributor to the landfill. There was focus on how we can make change within our own individual ecosystems. All panels were moderated by Hollis Wong-Wear, artist and principal at hww.work (known as Homework). She provided insight and refreshing candor to really carry the conversations. We ended day two with a poster printing workshop hosted by Austin’s Industry Print Shop. It was led by Madeline Hagy, who runs their flat stock department, offering practical skills and industry knowledge.

Bringing women of color together

We spoke with Esmeralda Ramos from Stoked On Printing in Las Vegas, Nevada, who said “I’m one of the only people of color in the office, I’m the only one that can communicate with our production team,” bringing forth the importance of combating language barriers and how she’s able to help to bridge the gap in their shop.

May Yang from Flash Flood Print Studio mentioned she had been in a moment of burnout, and “being able to connect with people and hear inspiring stories of other women overcoming their own challenges” has helped to make her feel re-energized about everything.

Tess Collins from P&M Apparel commented that Colorways was “Such a cool amalgamation of different people, different experiences from all over,” reflecting the diverse and enriching nature of the event.

This first event was about building the foundation. To be able to connect with other women of color who understand where I’m coming from was empowering to feel seen and validated. Colorways was produced to help bring attention to the void in our industry. It has become apparent that building community within this small demographic has been needed. I was confident in my ability to create this space for us; it was just a matter of securing financial support from some of the industry’s biggest companies. To see these businesses put their dollars toward our underrepresented community has been deeply meaningful and motivating.

Colorways 2024 was a success! We hope to be able to connect to more women of color in this industry, gaining perspective on what’s needed across all the different roles within a print shop. As our inaugural year provided valuable learning experiences, with plenty of room for improvement, we have already begun planning for 2025. Although Reno was so good to us, we have plans to host in a new city every year. I look forward to growing this community and seeing more of the industry leaders supporting this movement for change.

Follow @ColorwaysbyMSC on Instagram for updates on the next summit.