SHINING BRIGHT

New collection is called “The Future Looks Bright” with good reason

At Roots, the design process is a wondrous thing that leads to great results. Take the new ‘The Future Looks Bright’ collection for instance, which began to arrive in stores a few days ago. Comprised mostly of vibrant-coloured polos, T-shirts, sweats and leather handbags, it is the first installment of the Spring ’07 collection.

“There’s a lot to like about this new collection,” says Product Coordinator Syd Beder. “It not only looks good and is distinct from our competitors but it’s also assertive in the message it projects. It ties in perfectly well with the longtime Roots values of health, wellness and the environment. When we say ‘the future looks bright’, we mean it, both in terms of the colour palette and in saying that we must all do what we can to make the future better.”

Like the environmental message, the positive feel and optimistic view of the collection are very much in keeping with a sensibility that has prevailed at Roots ever since the company began in 1973. It comes across in different ways, both in many of the ‘Future Looks Bright’ products – which feature environmental and pro-peace statements as part of the design – and in the marketing campaign for the collection which includes a similar theme.

The collection is the fruit of several creative minds working in harmony in the Design Department at the Roots Headquarters in Toronto. Jules Power, Rita Shulman, Dylan Anderson, Karl Kowalewski, Elsa Desouza, Lynne Morris, Marisa Battaglia, Stephanie Briers and Tracy Klem represent menswear, womenswear, leather goods, accessories, kids, baby and graphic design. Together, they bring a richness of backgrounds, styles and sensibilities to the table.

In creating this collection, the design team made a key decision to use bright colours with a theme and message that would help set Roots apart from other brands. From sunrise yellow to lotus pink to faded red, foliage green and honey peach, the colours are a refreshing change at this time of year. Statements featured on many of the tops include Protect Nature; Stop Global Warming; Unite For Peace; Demand Clean Water.

Sounds pretty simple and straightforward but it’s not. With each product, there’s so much more than meets the eye. What the customer sees is only the last stage in the product’s multi-faceted evolution from the original idea to the actual manufacturing. It’s all part of the creative and production process at Roots that’s both intuitive and logical.

In coming up with a new collection, the designers conduct extensive research and planning. They work closely with Roots Co-Founders Don Green and Michael Budman, Director of Design Nella Walker and Syd Beder. For inspiration and to further stimulate creativity, the designers travel to various fashion capitals, study the styles in the streets and in music and movies, and consult international fashion forecasting services. All the while, they keep their eyes and ears open to influences from a mix of sources.

The design team must wrestle with countless aspects – aesthetic and practical – critical to the customer’s perception of Roots. By deciding on all the variables – colours, fabric, textures, cut, fit, embellishment, graphics – the designers determine the look and ultimate success of an item. Details, details, details. At Roots, they all matter. It’s the only way to ensure quality and integrity.

The challenge is to remain fresh and relevant, season after season. With ‘The Future Looks Bright’, the design team has created a winning combination to kick off the new year in a bold, stylish and eye-catching manner. But it’s more than just the look.

“In our own modest way,” says Syd, “we hope this collection and its main message will help people to sit up and become more pro-active regarding the future. We all need to do more and be more assertive to help bring about a better future for generations to come. It’s not going to happen if we just sit back.”

Although the ‘Future Looks Bright’ theme is unique to Roots, it reflects certain current trends. For example, one of the elements in the collection is a nautical theme, which is in fashion this season. Roots integrated it with an environmental angle in the graphic T-shirts for men and women which highlight the message ‘Save Our Oceans’.

“Roots has always stood for certain values,” says Don Green. “I see this new collection as the latest chapter in our efforts not only to create great products but also to raise awareness about important issues and to affect positive change, especially where the environment is concerned. The future looks bright, but only if we all do our part to make the world a better place.”
While the ‘Future Looks Bright’ collection is just beginning to roll out at Roots stores, those who created it have long since moved on to new projects for the next season. Such is the life of the design team at Roots.

Designers in any field are used to thinking ahead. They have to. Like fortune tellers, they read the future long before it arrives. Fashion designers face a particular challenge. They must think up designs that will be stylish and pertinent well in advance of the clothes hitting the market many months later. To be successful, designers must have a special sense. At Roots, they must create compelling styles that both reflect and define prevailing trends and are true to the Roots look and heritage.

The Roots design team is already hard at work on the Fall/Holiday 2007 collection, and will start focusing soon on the Spring 2008 styles. The design process never stops. But for all their creativity and success, the designers know they can’t rest on past laurels. They’re only as good as their next collection. – R.S.