The Source

Renovations In The East

East Asian stores undergo massive revamp in time for summer

Change is in the air and many Roots stores in Taiwan are debuting an updated look as the opening of new locations and renovations to existing stores have been taking place since April.

With two inaugural sites launching in the cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan and three renovated locales re-opening in Kaohsiung, Taichung and the capital city of Taipei, the Roots presence is steadily increasing in the bustling country.

The shops, located within popular Taiwanese department stores, incorporate eco-friendly design features central to the company’s core values. Many are implementing the new darker stained bamboo floors, while the Mitsukoshi A9 shop features the first green wall in the country. A greater emphasis is also being placed on leather items, with all stores integrating bag walls or display tables of the merchandise, offset by stylishly simple photos of nature.

With another location slated to open at the end of June and an ad campaign being featured in Taiwan’s Vogue and Elle, the future looks bright for Roots in Asia.

Behind The Brand Name

CBC’s The Hour goes one-on-one with Roots co-founder

A familiar face graced late night television in early May, when Roots Co-Founder Michael Budman sat down with The Hour’s George Stroumboulopoulos in front of a live studio audience.

In a candid interview for the CBC’s popular current affairs show, the pair discussed the history and future of the iconic brand. Michael chronicled meeting fellow co-founder Don Green in Algonquin Park, and moving to Toronto in the early1970s when they first considered selling waterbeds or yogurt before finally deciding on the successful negative heel shoe.

Interspersed with footage shot at the Roots leather factory, Michael touched on the importance of finding a niche for manufacturing in Canada, as well as the decision not to outfit the United States team for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Discussing his involvement with Robert Kennedy Jr.’s Waterkeeper Alliance, he stressed the dedication and importance that Roots places on the environment as a core value of the company.

As a special gift to George, Michael presented him with a custom-made leather jacket, which he then wore the next evening on his highly acclaimed program.

If you did not see the interview the first time around on television, you can view it on the internet at CBC’s website www.cbc.ca/thehour.

A History Of Peace

Popular symbol used in Roots "Summer ofis more than just a sign of the times

In 2008, the peace sign turns 50, yet remains as relevant as ever, helping inspire this season’s Summer of Love collection. The iconic sign and the sentiment it represents is the theme of the current Roots campaign in stores now.

In a new book, Peace: The Biography of a Symbol, commemorating the golden anniversary, author Ken Kolsbun chronicles the evolution of the powerful image.
Created in 1958 by British artist Gerald Holtom, the forked symbol was designed for a “Ban the Bomb” protest march, where it was then adopted as the badge of the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

The symbol is based on the letters of flag-signaling alphabet, super-imposing N, for nuclear (a figure with arms held downward and out from both sides), and D, for disarmament (a figure holding one arm above its head while the other points to the ground), within a circle signifying the Earth.

The peace sign was later generalized to become an international icon of the 1960s anti-Vietnam War movement and was also embraced by the counterculture of the time, taking on additional meanings for civil rights, the environment and the women’s rights movement. These same issues are also very much part of current events, which helps explain the resurgence in popularity of the symbol.

Interestingly, as the peace sign has deliberately never been copyrighted, no one has to pay or seek permission before they use it. As a symbol of freedom, it’s free for all.

The Summer Of Love

With a splash of colour and a fresh take on the peace symbol, Roots presents an eye-catching collection inspired from the ‘60s. BY: CARLY ANDERSON

Roots always reserves something special for summer and this year stays true to that tradition. This season, Roots pays tribute to the Summer of ’67—an exceptional moment in time that brought social activism, civil rights and environmental concern to the mainstream, leaving its indelible mark on the future.

In stores now, the look for the Summer of ’08 is that of “modern day hippie.” The Roots designers reinterpreted the free-spirited, youthful clothing of the bohemian counterculture, giving it a contemporary twist with innovative organic materials and handcrafted detailing. The collection embodies all the things important to Roots—respect for the environment, an appreciation of music/arts/culture, spending time outdoors and leading an active, healthy lifestyle.

“Creating the right visuals to support the collection is an intrinsic part of this initiative,” says Stephanie Holden, Creative Director. “The Summer of Love was the most complicated photo shoot we have done to date. We used various locations, multiple models and props. It was challenging, but great to see all of our plans come to life. I believe the campaign truly captures the artistic mood of the product. Ilich Mejia [Art Director, Photographer] and Peter Paquette [Senior Visual Merchant, Stylist] are a great team to work with. We’re really looking forward to shooting our upcoming fall campaign together.”

Shot on the West Coast over a period of two days, the Summer of Love photo shoot set the standard for all future campaigns.

“It was very exciting,” says Peter. “It’s always amazing to see the concepts come to life. There was a lot of stress and challenges involved, but I wouldn’t trade this part of my job for anything!”

For women, the “modern day hippie” theme offers endless fun and versatile options for summer, blending Roots quality and comfort with stylish details. Bright colours abound, as do airy tanks and billowy dresses in flowery prints of organic cotton and bamboo blends. Classic tees meet the ’60s, as the beaver icon undergoes a psychedelic makeover for the summer and “Peace, Love and Roots” is proclaimed loudly from bold tie-dyed tees.

A major trend reflecting the hippie style, was to take inspiration from Eastern cultures. This is seen in the collection’s line of crisp, peasant-style tops with detailed embroidery and prints derived from India. Many other garments feature handicraft detailing, a technique seen everywhere this season. Tanks and tunics with crochet or hand-knitted detailing in deep, rich shades are getting many positive reviews from customers and staff.

For men, the Summer of Love comes across more subtly, in gentle transitions of tie-dyed colour as seen in the Carlo Slim Dip Dye tee, and flowery printed surf shorts, great for a day at the beach. The nature-inspired shirts, made out of organic cotton and hemp, feature a variety of earthy graphics, many with a native Canadian feel to them.

Among other Roots plans for summer, the patriotic Canada Day line is already hitting stores.

The mostly red, white and black colour scheme, features many classic items, such as polos, tees and sweatshirts with accents of Canadiana in bold graphics. All products in the line are made in Canada and are also part of the Roots Green line.

Other collections for the summer include the White Canada Collection, available in 12 flagship stores this month. The complement to the other patriotic line, the White Collection is more athletic-inspired with clean and technical lines. The featured colour is white with sleek accents of slate grey and heritage red. Each garment is emblazoned with multiple logos by Graphic Designer Ashley Allwood, and comes with a custom rubber patch and keepsake keychain, celebrating Canada and the brand’s longtime passion for sport.

With waves of colourful, new merchandise in stores this season, this is truly a summer of love – to love. -C.A.

Toning Up On Recycling

IT Department implements new store-wide eco-friendly system

As a company which prides itself on its commitment to the environment, it seems that everyone at Roots is finding ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The latest innovation comes from the IT Department at Head Office where Janice Blair, Retail Store Systems Analyst, has implemented a store-wide toner cartridge recycling program, which is getting many positive reviews.

Working with printing and imaging support provider LaserNetworks, the strategy allows all Roots stores to courier their empty cartridges back to the contractor for free, where they can be reused. Launched in Canadian stores in January and just recently introduced in the United States, the program will conserve hundreds of litres of oil over the course of a year as well as divert the non-biodegradable plastic from landfills.

“Recycling our cartridges is one of the easiest things we can do to lessen our impact on the environment,” says Janice. “We’ve made the process as convenient and simple as possible to ensure the cooperation of all stores. Now it’s just a matter of re-educating people about the steps involved. A partnership with one of the environmental leaders in this field [LaserNetworks] seems only natural for Roots.”

For step-by-step guidelines on recycling store toner cartridges, visit the Policies section on Storenet.

The Place To Be In July

Special discount for Roots employees on premier sporting event in Canada

Tickets are going fast as the top men’s players in the world of tennis battle once again at York University’s world-class Rexall Centre for the 2008 Rogers Cup.

This July 19-27, the biggest names in international tennis including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick will take to the courts and Roots invites all employees to be a part of the action for a discounted price.

In a special offer to staff and their family and friends, prime Level 100 silver seats are available for up to 25% off. To order: Log onto www.rogerscup.com/groups and use your group access code RCL0-7388164 or call Tennis Canada at 1-877-283-6647 ext. 4306 or groups@tenniscanada.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

On Location

Catherine Zeta-Jones wears Roots on set of latest movie

While in New York filming her new romantic comedy slated for release next year, Catherine Zeta-Jones was spotted by paparazzi wearing the latest in Roots leather bags.

The candid moment between takes made for a great photo opportunity as the Midtown Slide was on prominent display. The newest in the popular Flat bag collection, the Slide in Super Lux leather has an easy access buckle in a high polished silver finish and numerous handy pockets.

A long-time fan of the brand, Catherine’s new movie The Rebound, directed by Bart Freundlich, features the star as a single mom captivated by her much younger neighbour.

Guess Who Just Dropped In

Taking attendance of special guests at Roots stores

Celebrities have long made a point of shopping at Roots. Here are the latest sightings of prominent figures in the world of entertainment and sports who visited Roots stores recently:

• 100 Bloor St., Toronto – Academy Award winning actress Hillary Swank picked up a variety of items including the Mantra yoga pant, Portland plaid shirt, leggings and a variety of shorts and accessories.

• Erin Mills Town Centre, Mississauga, ON – Canadian kayaking medalist and Roots model currently in the Summer of Love ad campaign Adam van Koeverden visited the store.

• Robson, Vancouver, BC – One half of the Canadian figure skating pair, Jamie Sale shopped at the store stocking up on scarves, headbands, sweatshirts, tees and leather bags.

You Oughta Be In The Movies

Roots featured on website devoted to jackets with cinematic appeal

When Raiders of the Lost Ark came out in 1981, its success extended far beyond the box office. Avid fans couldn't get enough of Indiana Jones -- they wanted to emulate everything about the character (as performed by Harrison Ford), right down to his beat up leather jacket and dusty fedora.

Rick Theriault was one of those bowled over by the Indiana Jones look. But, like many others, he had no idea where to begin searching for an "Indy" jacket of his own. In 2000, he came across the coveted garment on the internet. While searching for more information about it, he discovered he wasn't alone in his quest.

"The obsession was there before me," says Theriault, 45, an environmental manager for a paper company in New Hampshire. He found that many others were equally fanatical about the jacket -- the shape of the pocket flap, the zipper facings, the adjustable straps at the waist, the shape of the collar. After purchasing his own Indiana Jones Jacket, Rick decided to look for another favourite on-screen garnment -- the motorcycle jacket worn by Hugh Laurie on the Fox television show House M.D.

It was at this point that Theriault realized that although there were many interested fans such as him, there were no websites devoted to helping people find replicas of jackets seen in films and on television. Much of the information for each style was available, but it was scattered among various websites. Convinced this was a niche that he could fill, Theriault and his friend Mike Sicoli founded filmjackets.com in 2007.

Theriault and Sicoli are constantly searching for new replica jackets to feature on their site. Recently, they came across the Roots Raiders Jacket, which was released this year to celebrate the new Indiana Jones film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was the first time Theriault heard of Roots, but after doing some online research, he discovered that the company had an excellent reputation for leather goods.

"I learned that Roots Canada makes a top-quality product," says Theriault. "Tough credentials to ignore and filmjackets.com took notice. We love high-quality jackets!" This led him to add the Raiders Jacket to his site where Indiana Jones fans from around the world can now find it. The jacket is listed under Raiders of the Lost Ark in the 'Film Jackets' portion of the site, and includes details on how to order it from Roots.

For Theriault, hunting down jackets to add to his site has become a new love. "It's rewarding to find something that you are passionate about and realize that others share your interest," he says. "What I like best is the feeling I get when opening an email in which someone thanks filmjackets.com for helping them find a jacket. You can't beat that." - Anne Theriault

Chanting The Mantra Of Style

Roots is a presence at yoga exhibition for fifth straight year

For three days in late April, downtown Toronto’s Metro Convention Centre was a mecca for exercise enthusiasts as the annual Yoga Show opened its doors to the public.

Roots has maintained a strong presence at the exhibition since the event began in 2003, and this year was no different as its eco-friendly yoga line (for men, women and children) created by Denyse Green was featured at its on-site booth.

Response to the products was extremely positive, with sales greater than the previous year. The most popular items included the women’s yoga graphic tee and the men’s Active Bamboo track jacket. Buttons and flyers for the Roots Yoga Studio in Toronto were also given away, along with a pass for one complimentary class, which proved highly popular among the attendees.

“We had a great team working at the booth this year,” says Denyse. “We couldn’t have done it without their enthusiasm, especially Anne Theriault who brought such energy to the show. This is also a great time to encourage all Roots employees to take advantage of their free classes at the yoga studio. Namaste.”

The Yoga Show features more than 150 exhibitors, 100 workshops, classes, demonstrations and hands-on training for all those interested in the ancient spiritual practice.