A letter from the Founder.

There is an inevitable sadness many of us will touch, in moments words will never be able to explain. Burdened with a fear of disrupting their own paralysing struggle, we cannot hear the silent cries or recognise the internal battle that rips through the people we love, the people we thought were okay, the people who didn't know what else to do.

Amidst a sea of mostly thoughts and prayers lies a roaring hunger for real, everyday action; a longing for something hope can hold onto, to assure us that this world is indeed moving forward.  

Through this struggle towards achieving collective understanding and appreciation - we realise that the destination matters very little, and instead, the importance rests in only that we do actually begin.

So, this is us. On the starting line, ready to take the first step towards acknowledging that it isn't enough to sit around and wait for change - we needed to make the change. 

We are committed to breaking tradition. To speaking out. To making moves. To cleaning up.

Earlier this year, I sadly lost one of the most inspirational, compassionate and loving friends to a battle with depression. With this tremendous loss at the forefront of not only my mind but his friends and family too, I was compelled to deliver something that was more than just words on a screen.

What was important to me? Action. Action with intention and action with impact.

With the means that we have, Merchants of the Sun wanted to create social change and empower a real sense of purpose towards dismantling the stereotypes surrounding mental illness and the complexity in how it affects people.

Existing in a climate where the media is saturated by hyper-positivity and an idea that we can cure an illness with a single question, Merchants of the Sun wanted to support a not-for-profit that is determined to inspire collective and critical action.

As we move into the 2020 sale season and our first ever Black Friday, we wanted the community to consider making a purchase with a greater purpose. This Friday, Merchants of  the Sun are introducing the #IWearMyEmotions campaign by donating 100% of all profits from this sale to the Black Dog Institute – Australian medical researchers that meet individual needs. We have also reduced our prices store-wide by 20%. 

Our 24hr Black Friday Sale will run from 9am, 27th of November to 9am, 28th of November 2021.

Merchants of the Sun is a brand our community can trust to advocate for and champion society's most significant matters. Blinded in an instantaneous era of clicks and buzzes, we quickly lose sight of what's right in front of us. Looking to the future, we hope to further elevate our brand as a social enterprise; a company that identifies these challenges and becomes educated on ways to engage and take action.

Sometimes we aren't okay, sometimes we can't see a better day ahead, and sometimes we are in-between. For many of us, the struggle isn't about not having the material perks, the unbelievable career or thriving social life, it's not knowing how to recognise and regulate our emotions. Far too many of us find more comfort in staying silent than speaking out, and it doesn't have to be that way.

Woven into a tapestry of understanding and enclosed within a gentle conversation about things that bring us peace, is reassuring our nearest and dearest (including ourselves) that they will never have to suffer alone. Sometimes I wonder, what if all people needed was a choir of calm in a room full of ears.

Join us in breaking tradition, not each other, not the planet, not anything else. Change the Black Friday narrative for the better, because that's the least we can do.

Share your story with us using the hashtag #IWearMyEmotions and purchase for a greater purpose this Black Friday. Wear your emotions with pride and be heard with Merchants of the Sun.

– Matthew Banks // Founder & Director

#IWearMyEmotions.