MONTREAL DISPATCH

Chanel Sutherland reports on a season of style in a city of Roots

One of the hottest spots in Canada for this fall’s best fashion is Montreal where nearly everyone is a trendsetter. Whether you are strolling down St. Catherine Street or shopping on St. Laurent, people you see have a style of their own.

Despite their diverse modes, many share one thing in common: Roots. The beaver is showing its paws everywhere in Montreal. With this fall’s collection, new trends are being created out of mixing and matching Roots. Montreal women, like their counterparts elsewhere in Canada, are finding at Roots what they need to express their inner selves.

In this city of great culture and style, fall nights are never about boring sweaters. For a night out, female Montrealers can spice up their look by throwing on a pair of Roots Jazz Leggings in forest green, a Long Layering Tank in camel, and the Camouflage Hoody in jungle. To accessorize, adding a Venetian Village Bag in tribe.

Cropped Hoodies are also fun this fall and make layering a breeze. The Sunset Cropped Hoody in forest green looks great paired with Roots sweatpants in vintage white. Add the Bonita Peaked Toque and voila! This Montreal look is almost complete. Top it off with a little spray of Roots Spirit perfume. With its natural scent, it’s sure to lift your spirit!

A DYNAMIC DUO PAR EXCELLENCE

Hooking up with Parisian friends of Roots in New York

Friends of Roots come from all walks of life from all over the world. In Paris, two people close to Roots also happen to be one of France’s most famous couples – writer/ philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy (known as BHL) and actress/singer Arielle Dombasle.

Last week, they were in New York where Arielle was performing a three-night engagement at the Supper Club. Roots Co-Founder Michael Budman and his wife Diane Bald attended the first show and later had dinner with Arielle and BHL.

Backed by the New York Big Band, Arielle performed hits from the 1940s and 50s in English and French. Over the past year, she has been performing to sellout crowds all over France.

Michael first met BHL in Paris in 1983 when the outspoken intellectual was the subject of a cover story in Passion magazine. Michael was the Executive Publisher while Robert Sarner, current Roots Director of Communication and Public Affairs and a former journalist, was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Passion.

Since then, both Michael and Robert have become good friends with BHL and his wife Arielle. Among his many projects, BHL just produced a documentary film on the renowned Paris-based architect and interior designer Andree Putman who has previously worked with Roots on several projects.

IN GOOD COMPANY

Top rated TV show true to Roots
The Roots Business-to-Business Department keeps chalking up the hits. Latest proof: the cast and crew of the hit HBO TV series Entourage are now making use of their customized Banff Bags.

Made of 100% genuine leather at the Roots factory in Toronto, the small Banff bags come with an embroidered logo of the show’s title, as well as the classic Roots Genuine Leather logo.

Product Coordinator David Jackson handled the order and sent 200 black and 50 brown bags to the Entourage producers earlier this month. The producers then gave the bags to the cast and crew at their wrap party in Los Angeles.

Roots Co-Founder Michael Budman and Los Angeles-based Roots salesperson Wendy Goodman made initial contact with Entourage’s production company, and Graphic Artist Winnie Tam designed the artwork.

Entourage, which is based on the Hollywood experiences of executive producer Mark Wahlberg, has been hailed as one of the best comedies on TV and has received eight Emmy and four Golden Globe nominations. Adrian Grenier stars along side Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Debi Mazar and Emmy award winner Jeremy Piven.

Entourage finished its third season in the U.S. last month and is scheduled to premiere in Canada on October 9 on CityTV. Check local listings for show times.

THE WINDOWS COME ALIVE

Montreal store puts on live show for second year running

Roots Centre-Ville sure knows how to turn heads in Montreal. Earlier this month, people did a double take as they walked by the store next to the busy intersection of St. Catherine and Peel. What captured their attention were instructors from a nearby fitness club who appeared in the store windows giving choreographed demonstrations to music.

For the second year in a row, Roots Centre-Ville teamed up with Club Sportiff MAA and hosted two-hour live window sessions for five consecutive days. Dressed in Roots Yoga attire, two male and a half-dozen female instructors demonstrated eye-catching moves from a selection of their courses, including pilates, yoga, power pump free weights and cardio ball bootcamp. There was African, hip hop and salsa dancing, and male instructors also demonstrated sports conditioning and core strengthening.

“It was great because they were promoting our Roots Yoga line and we were promoting their gym,” says Store Manager Aran Pamplona. “The club is right up the street and (Roots Co-Founders) Don Green and Michael Budman are always promoting health and fitness, so it’s a good relationship.”

Roots Centre-Ville’s relationship with the MAA started several years ago through world champion and Olympic medalist Natalie Lambert, when Roots Centre-Ville hosted an Olympic press conference at the store. Then, last year Natalie contacted Roots to suggest putting on live shows.

“When you come into the store every day, it’s always exciting for something new to be happening,” says Centre-Ville Assistant Manager Angie Ello. “It was a nice change, especially because of where we’re located. It gave the store great energy and it definitely brought in traffic.”

MOVEMENT IN THE RIGHT SPACE

Denyse Green takes Roots Yoga to new heights

If the recent opening of Roots Rosedale in Toronto marks the completion of a circle for Co-Founders Don Green and Michael Budman, it also has special significance for Don’s wife Denyse Green.

The eco-friendly emporium signifies a return to the company’s roots on Yonge Street as it’s situated just a block up from where it all began back in 1973 when the first Roots store opened. But there’s also another dimension to the story.
An important part of Roots Rosedale is the new Roots Yoga Studio situated upstairs on the third floor. Conceived and managed by Denyse, a seasoned instructor, classes began earlier this month with great feedback so far.

For Denyse, the Studio is also a return to her roots of sorts. In August 1973, a few months after moving to Toronto from her hometown of Chicoutimi, Quebec, and barely a week after Don and Michael had opened the original store, Denyse was offered a job that would change her life. She was the first person Don and Michael ever hired to work at Roots, and it proved an auspicious decision for all concerned. In time, she and Don would get married and start a family, all the while playing a key role in the evolution of Roots.

More than 33 years later, that role is as vital as ever. Being the Director of the Roots Yoga Studio is only one facet of her work at Roots. Denyse also works closely on the design of Roots leather bags with Diane Bald and resident leather expert Karl Kowalewski on top of overseeing the Roots Yoga collection of active apparel. In 1982, Denyse also created Baby Roots after she could not find clothing she liked for her newly born son Anthony.

Denyse’s involvement in creating the Roots Yoga line was also a natural extension of her own personal interests. “I first started doing yoga about 30 years ago after I found a book about it,” says Denyse, 54. “Right away, I was very curious about it and began looking for a teacher. Back then, yoga was not very common in Toronto. I really got involved in it in a more serious way a few years later when I became pregnant with our son. Since I wanted to have the baby at home, I knew that yoga would be very beneficial for the breathing and relaxing part of it.”

It was. Denyse has been a regular practitioner ever since. “Yoga is a journey that helps you to know yourself better,” says Denyse, who has been teaching since 1996. “It’s a discipline and a complete system that helps you maintain your health, physically and mentally, giving you added vitality and better awareness inside out. There is also a spiritual and philosophical side to yoga that also attracted me.”

In 2001, at Denyse’s initiative, Roots launched the Roots Yoga line. It began with a modest selection and expanded two years later when the organizers of the Yoga Show in Toronto asked Roots to supply the staff with suitable clothing.

Today, the Roots Yoga line has grown to include many more styles featuring pants, jackets, and T-shirts in different fabrics and colours. Denyse works closely with Jules Power, Senior Designer, and Nikki Kime, Senior Technician, both in the Womenswear Department, on the designs and specifications. Denyse has also been helped by Elsa De Sousa, Senior Designer, Babies and Dylan Anderson, Designer, Menswear, who have been developing a Roots Yoga line for children and men. On the graphic side, a new Roots Yoga logo was recently unveiled after being designed by Graphic Artist Stephanie Briers with whom Denyse has been collaborating on the beautiful new Roots Yoga T-shirts.

Earlier this year, during the planning for Roots Rosedale as a special store with a new concept, Denyse noticed the building had a beautiful space on the third floor. As she was looking for a new home for her yoga studio and the store was going to have a strong focus on organic and health-related products, it seemed like a natural move to create a Roots Yoga Studio upstairs.
“The two complement each other,” says Denyse. “As the building was new, it allowed us to design the Studio the way we felt it should be. I may not be objective but our space is the nicest urban yoga studio I’ve ever seen. That’s thanks in large part to Diane and Pauline Landriault, (Director of Visual Planning and Store Development) who helped me tremendously as we prepared the space. Howard Pollack, (Director of Purchasing and Facilities), who oversaw the construction of the studio, also deserves a lot credit.”
The Studio offers instruction in six main types of yoga (see box). Each week, there are 25 classes taught by 11 teachers, all of who are experienced and certified from various renowned yoga schools.
Denyse is nothing if not passionate about the Roots Yoga Studio. “I love the challenge of creating something new within the framework of Roots that has such a positive influence on people’s lives,” says Denyse. “It’s even more gratifying that it’s in a neighborhood that has played such a big part in my life. It feels like completing a circle with the new store and Roots Yoga Studio being so close to where we began this great adventure 33 years ago.” – R.S.

NOW IN SESSION

The just-opened Roots Yoga Studio attracts students from all over Toronto

Situated above the new Roots Rosedale store on the third floor, the Roots Yoga Studio offers classes to all yoga enthusiasts. Check out the new Roots Yoga Studio website at: www.yoga.roots.com for detailed class descriptions, schedules and pricing. Here’s a brief look at the yoga classes available:

ASHTANGA/VINYASA AND VINYASA FLOW
Mixing two types of yoga practice, this class focuses on linking movement with breath and exploring alternative posture sequencing. Suitable for students with previous yoga experience.

IYENGAR
Iyengar focuses on the precise alignment of the muscles, bones and joints, using props to support and assist students when needed. Iyengar yoga increases flexibility, stamina and strength. No yoga experience (or flexibility!) required.

HATHA
This class is moderately-paced between basic and intermediate poses, building core strength and flexibility. It focuses on alignment, breath and inner intention. Suitable for all levels.

KRIPALU
A gently challenging classical style of Hatha yoga, this class includes physical yoga postures, breath-work and meditation. Suitable for all levels.

ANUSARA
A uniquely integrated approach to Hatha yoga, this class blends balanced energetic action with universal principles of alignment and the science of biomechanics. Previous yoga experience required.

GENTLE YOGA
Perfect for those who would like to work at a slower pace. This class emphasizes moving with ease and comfort with breath awareness to increase strength, flexibility and endurance. No yoga experience needed.

YOGA FLOW
Similar to gentle yoga but with flowing sequences and more challenging variations. Strengtheners and standing poses used allow for a complete body warm-up and awakening. Previous yoga experience required.

DEEPENING YOUR PRACTICE
This class takes your yoga even deeper by attending to the mind with breath, sounding and chant; and by exploring the subtle body through meditation and sense exploration. Previous yoga experience required.

YOGA AND MOVEMENT
Putting more emphasis on listening to the inner body and exploring postures through movement, breath and flow of prana, this class increases endurance, strength and balance. Previous yoga experience required.