THE PEOPLE BEHIND ROOTS

It takes skilled craftsmen like Elizabeth Mawyin to make Roots bags so good

The woman on the front cover of this issue of The Source was photographed at the Roots leather factory in Toronto while making the Village Pack. Elizabeth Mawyin reflects the quality of people who make Roots genuine leather goods. She is a gifted leather worker who has further developed her skills since she joined Roots shortly after moving to Canada from South America.

This week, she celebrated her 31st anniversary working at the Roots factory. When she began in 1975 and Roots was barely two years old, her first job was to make the negative heel shoes that first established Roots. Thanks to people like Elizabeth who has kept up with the evolution of Roots leather products, the factory is such a productive force. Over the years, Elizabeth has made shoes, bags and jackets. Today, she’s part of the team making only Flat bags due to the incredible demand.

“I enjoy working at Roots,” says Elizabeth, 55, who grew up in Ecuador. “I’ve learned so much since I’ve been here. It’s always interesting to see the development and success of new Roots products.”