ETHOS

The Problem

Here’s the awkward truth: factory farming is a disaster.
Animals suffer, methane gas sneaks in as the third-biggest cause of global warming, and the whole thing is hidden behind shrink-wrap and marketing slogans. Most people would rather not think about it — but once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

The Turn

I used to run a leather jacket brand. Then one night, I stumbled across a livestream of a mama goat named Maybel. I stayed up night after night, waiting for her to give birth. Out of curiosity, I tracked down where that camera was coming from. During those sleepless nights, I had plenty of time to dig.

It turned out to be a farm animal sanctuary that had rescued her while she was heavily pregnant. Eventually, I learned from them what happens to so many animals in the dairy industry: mothers like Maybel are trapped in a cycle of forced pregnancies, their milk taken, their babies taken away. The boys are sold as food, the girls destined to repeat their mother’s fate. All this, while animals are fully sentient beings.

But for Maybel, this time was different. For the first time, she was able to keep all four of her babies by her side. That livestream cracked something open in me. Suddenly, leather didn’t feel like fashion anymore — it felt like the byproduct of a system I couldn’t ignore. Maybel and her kids were the beginning of my new path: trading leather for plant-based fabric, and using clothes as a way to keep telling their story.

The Stand

Gate City Mercantile is my do-over.
Not perfect, not holier-than-thou — just determined to make better choices where I can. We design workwear that’s tough enough for daily life, rooted in plant-based materials when possible, and built with the idea that awareness doesn’t have to be heavy-handed. You can laugh, look good, and still carry a little conscience in your closet. And with every purchase, a portion goes to farm animal sanctuaries and rescues — so the impact stretches beyond the wardrobe.

The Craft

Our products are made entirely from animal-cruelty-free materials. Most of our pieces are grounded in cotton and linen, with plant-based leather made from apple and cactus on the horizon. And when it comes to the bigger picture of sustainable fashion — we’re not perfect, and that’s the point. Yes, some pieces are poly (recycled poly when we can, and always with an eye toward better).

What ties it all together isn’t perfection — it’s intention. Every jacket, jumpsuit, or tee begins as one of my oddball sketches before becoming something you can wear. Think of them as small acts of rebellion, stitched with a wink: part art, part uniform, part reminder that awareness can slip into your closet without shouting — nudging us toward a story that feels better for everyone.

The Call

This is about waking up.
Every choice — every tee, every jumpsuit — is more than clothing. It’s a signal, a ripple, a small rebellion against “business as usual.” Each piece is a chance to lean toward a future where animals like Maybel get to live their own lives.

And if you can laugh, look good, and accidentally help save a goat or two along the way? Even better. Because every purchase sends support back to the sanctuaries making that future possible.