Seattle-based clothing company, Mediums Collective, has been learning to navigate their business through a pandemic. They’ve been able to pivot in the way that they operate, creating new platforms and creative opportunities for economic empowerment within the artistic community and local small businesses. I got the opportunity to sit down and talk with Roger and Big Cs about what they have been doing over the past year, as well as, what the future holds. Including details on the Cruisin’ with Mediums end of summer boat party coming up in early September.
An Interview With Roger and Big C Of Seattle-Based Clothing Company Mediums Collective
Taylor: Let’s discuss the journey y’all have been on this past year. Talk to me about how you guys shifted into what you’re doing now with these collaborative pop-up events.
Roger: What we’ve wanted to do with these collaborative spaces is bring together everyone’s network. It’s good for the culture, it’s good for brands, it’s good for business. Without a storefront, I feel like we’ve always had to come up with innovative ways to put the brand out there. Even before COVID happened we were going out to Cali, Colorado, Vegas, going to all of the trade shows, High Times Cannabis Cup, etc. So we had the idea to do another pop-up but instead of spending $3k in another community let’s spend that on Seattle. We were planning an event and then 2020 happened and everything became more political.
We were able to get involved with King County Equity Now. They were already organizing protests but wanted to collaborate with us to bring together artists and creatives to use their voices and make it a pro-festival. That’s what we did with Pay The Fee, which was pretty dope because it’s art, but educational at the same time. The goal of the event being, how do we blend the political movement into the creative space. Not a lot of people want to talk about politics but when you do it in an artistic way, I feel the consumer will pay more attention to it.
Connect with Mediums Collective on Instagram
Big Cs: Working with them was cool. They brought a different type of energy and were like, listen, enough of this trying to find a way to do things the way that it’s set up. You gotta reinvent some things yourself. We grabbed on to that energy and implemented it in what we did, cause we’re throwing a party in a parking lot, remember that. Whereas two years ago, Roger and I were thinking to be official we needed a venue.
Roger: We were trying to find a venue but we were like, fuck it, we don’t need one anymore.
Taylor: Take it to the streets. I feel like it makes a bigger impact that way anyways.
Roger: And we’re a streetwear brand, you feel me?
Pay The Fee! Collection | Photo by Mediums Collective
Mediums Collective Creates Pop-Up Events To Economically Empower The Community
Roger: We learned a lot from that event. Our event at Pratt Park really set the stage for us. It started out as a way for us to create a space where we could sell our clothes. Then it became a way for us to bring together everyone that we collaborate with in terms of artists and businesses. We’ve been doing our own pop-ups since 2015, so it was cool to have 15 different vendors at Pratt Park.
We did the Streetwear x Vintage event with Throwbacks Northwest at their new spot in Capitol Hill. That inspired the Audacity To Ask event that we did with Forever Safe Spaces. Then, for Cinco De Mayo we had 35 vendors, Black and Brown, which was dope. We brought in a bar and had a stage for artists and the whole community showed up.
The Mediums Collective For Cinco De Mayo
Cinco De Mayo at Jimi Hendrix Park | Photo by @supbudphotography
Roger: Before, it was a community driven setup. This time it was like, okay, let’s start creating the spaces for businesses and let’s start paying some of these artists ourselves. I think the way to push the culture forward is if we start economically empowering the people behind it too. These venues pay the artists but not really. During COVID they had to figure out where to go and how to create revenue. The fact that we’ve been able to support and give back through what we’re doing is dope.
I think the way to push the culture forward is if we start economically empowering the people behind it too.
Roger Maldonado, Mediums Collective Co-Founder
I’ve been working with Papa Randy, Marshall’s dad, he’s involved with the RAMP-up program at SeattleU. He’s helped quite a few businesses get financial investments, and he’s been helping us find ways that we can finance our brand. He’s the one that truly connected the dots between what Marshall was doing and what we were doing.
You know, the Marshall Law Band created the Jellybean and made this mobile performance environment. Marshall’s really good at networking so he linked up with the Collective in South Lake Union and he connected with LTD in Fremont. So, he’s been one to really solidify physical spaces. With us teaming up, we’ve been able to use these spaces for economic empowerment.
Freemont Fridays Sold Out Almost Every Week
After just a few weeks of Fremont Fridays it’s a sold out show every week. We clicked because we have the same goals. Marshall is all about spreading love and we’re all about mutual love within our community too. Us as a streetwear brand, we have to be in the community, we have to be in the streets.
Mediums Collective Designs Clothes That Reflects Their Actions
Big Cs: That’s also where inspiration comes from, like for the Unity crewneck.
Roger: We put that out during the height of the protests. The Unity Crewneck was inspired by everything that was happening. Now, with the spring collection, the ‘Chess Over Checkers’ design is on some move strategically type shit. You know, let’s move strategically, and let’s make money for ourselves.
Big Cs: Be the chess player, not the chess piece.
Roger: Also in the spring line, I call it the ‘Knowledge + Hustle = Self Made.’ It really has this feeling, you know, of we can wait around for things to open up to make shit happen or we could really just do it ourselves. Let’s do the research, let’s fucking hustle, and let’s make it happen. That’s what our spring line really represented, and I feel like that’s what we are living right now.
Mediums Collective’s Spring 2021 Collection
Roger: Moving forward with Fremont Fridays established, now we have that space to put on everyone who has really been putting in work in the city. If you’re putting in work, then hit us up, we have a platform to put you on, if you’re about it. Whether you’re a small business or an artist, you know what I mean? And we will continue to find new and interesting ways to put people on.
Spring Collection by Mediums Collective
Mediums Collective Takes The Function To The Water
Roger: We took the function to the water, with a cruise that started in Ballard. We did it at noon on a Sunday, we launched in Ballard and we took the boat around Lake Union so we could see the city. Then we took it out to Lake Washington, because that’s where you can really bump the music.
We brought in a bunch of artists, like Reposado, Holly Michelle, Webb Wavvy, Tré Ross, Chamel, and Marshall performed. DJ Kween Kaysh was spinning in between sets, really setting the vibe. We also had a bar with Papa Bueno tequila and Uncle Ike’s was there working to mend their relationship with the community through cannabis. There was a bunch of food from Dick’s Drive-In and Jackson’s Catfish Corner. Hone brought matcha and Yerbana was giving out sparkling Yerba Mate.
We were able to swim so the team from Unemployed brought some floaties to lounge on. Once we anchored, we tied them up together and chilled in the water. We got food, we got alcohol, and we got the bands, who we want to make sure get paid. Which brings it all back to what we’ve been doing. How do we create a platform to amplify the creative scene and the Seattle community? At the end of the day, we’re a clothing brand who is getting into the event space.
Cruisin’ with Mediums Collective Part 1 Full Recap
Taylor: It really feels like you guys are trying to re-establish the community in areas of the city which have been gentrified by big corporate America businesses. These areas pushed out our city’s culture and brought in transplants who have plenty of money to spend but they know nothing about the city to be able to spend it within the local economy. You guys have brought the local community straight to their doorstep and shown them the local artists, businesses, and organizations that they could be supporting.
Roger: And part of that too is us trying to figure out how we get these big corporations to throw money back into our community. How do we get these big businesses that are making stupid amounts of money to care about us, the creative and artistic scene in Seattle, and sponsor our events? What we are doing now is the very beginning of what we are trying to build.
If you’re trying to create a platform, I feel like you have to be involved with your community. Otherwise you’re not really highlighting it because you don’t know what’s going on. Even us, we still have a lot of research to do, there always is more to do, we’re always learning. I think the word community gets thrown around but I think it’s the most important. If you’re actually working towards building it, at least from me, you get my respect, because that’s what we’re trying to do.
Reposado Performing On The Mediums Collective Cruise | Photo by James Gerde
Mediums Collective On Pivoting Through A Pandemic
Roger: That’s why we added the Collective on to the end of our name, it’s Mediums Collective, a collection of artists. We’re a community and that’s the only way that we’re going to put ourselves on. That’s the only way that the scene is going to be able to rise. The only way that we’re going to be where L.A. is at, is if we collaborate. Bringing it full circle, that’s how Fremont Fridays happened. I was able to recognize Marshall’s strengths and he recognized ours, so we were able to make shit happen. We really did start thriving during COVID. We had hella events lined up for 2020 and they all cancelled.
Big Cs: I was going to say, if you think about it 90% of our revenue, if not more, was from events and that got taken away. I still go back and think about it, like, we should have freaked out and been like, damn, it’s over, we’re done.
Roger: Yeah, we were supposed to do that event with y’all at Respect My Region that week that COVID hit and that got cancelled too. We were also planning an event that year with Dave Byrd for his release function and we were going to do it on April 30th, I think. We were going to announce the day that the news of COVID started to drop and ended up cancelling. The cool thing about Mediums, though, is because we aren’t locked in to a store front-
Big Cs: We grew up without it.
Mediums Collective Throws Events All Around the West Coast
Roger: We’re able to take Mediums down to Tacoma, or up to Everett. We can take it all around the West Coast, take it to the Bay Area, to L.A., to Oregon. Once we establish the blueprint out here, then we can take it anywhere. Make it a tour, you know what I’m saying? Right now we’re planting the seeds, writing the script, creating the blueprint. Once the blueprint is done, it’s time to take it on the road.
So now, these pop-up events are really what Mediums is focusing on, creating the platforms to put people on, collaborating with Marshall and other artists to help put each other on. We’re doing a few small clothing drops, we got the spring line that we dropped, we got summer shit coming. I have some plans for my more designer type clothing for fall and winter, with a whole fashion show. But, right now, we are working on getting credibility with throwing events. We’re running all summer long with lots of events so that come winter we can take it indoors and maintain the same energy. The name of the game is to really just do cool shit, and put each other on.
Cruisin’ with Mediums Collective Pt. 1 | Photo by James Gerde
Purchase Tickets For Cruisin’ With Mediums Collective Part 2
In September, Mediums Collective will be taking the function back to the water with their end of summer cruise. Take a trip around the city with local music, food, and drinks on Saturday, September 11th from 4-8pm. Tickets are super limited with a limited 100 person capacity. Early bird tickets are on sale for $80 on Eventbrite. Once the music lineup is announced ticket prices will go up to $100 per person, so secure your spot quickly.
