Established in 1973, Roots is a proudly Canadian lifestyle brand that celebrates authenticity, quality, and community. Inspired by the great outdoors, we create timeless, sustainable apparel and leather goods designed for comfort and everyday adventure. At Roots, we believe in fostering a culture of inclusivity, creativity, and teamwork – where every team member plays a role in shaping our brand’s legacy. If you bring passion to everything you do, lead with integrity, and believe in the power of collaboration to drive growth, we’d love to have you on our journey!

Nature & Scope → Your Role at Roots

Roots Canada is seeking a visionary Director of Concept, Trend, and Colour to lead the seasonal creative direction, ensuring the brand’s heritage and premium outdoor lifestyle positioning are seamlessly integrated with modern design innovation and sustainability practices. In this pivotal role, reporting directly to the Head of Design, you will collaborate across design, merchandising, marketing, and consumer insights teams to create cohesive strategies that drive product innovation, enhance sustainability, and elevate brand storytelling, ultimately shaping the future of Roots.

Key Responsibilities → How You’ll Make an Impact

Seasonal Creative Direction

• Develop and lead overarching seasonal concept stories, ensuring alignment with Roots’ heritage, outdoor lifestyle ethos, and sustainability goals.
• Create digital and physical presentations for seasonal creative direction launches, inspiring internal teams with compelling narratives.
• Ensure creative concepts are carried through the go-to-market process, from initial design to product launch, with sustainability embedded at every stage.

Trend Research and Silhouette Direction

• Conduct and analyze macro and micro trend research, identifying emerging cultural, design, and consumer trends to inform seasonal strategies.
• Provide direction on silhouette trends, recommending updates in proportions, cuts, and fits to reflect evolving consumer preferences while maintaining brand identity.
• Translate global trends into actionable insights for the design team, ensuring alignment with Roots’ premium outdoor lifestyle positioning.
• Stay informed on industry innovations in materials, sustainability practices, and product categories to maintain Roots’ competitive edge.

Colour, Graphic, and Surface Design

• Lead the development of seasonal colour palettes, ensuring they resonate with the target audience and maintain cohesion across all categories.
• Work with Art Team to create Seasonal Direction for graphics, prints, and surface patterns, blending timeless heritage with trend-forward design elements.
• Collaborate with cross functional teams to implement sustainable techniques for print and material development, enhancing both product aesthetics and environmental impact.

Collaboration and Leadership

• Work closely with product design and merchandising to ensure seamless integration of seasonal concepts, colour strategies, and silhouette direction.
• Partner with brand marketing to align conceptual themes with the broader brand narrative and ensure resonance with target consumers.
• Inspire and mentor a team of concept, trend, and colour specialists, fostering creativity, inclusivity, and collaboration while emphasizing sustainability as a core value.

Deliver Business and Brand Growth

• Drive tangible growth by aligning creative strategies with revenue, profitability, and sustainability goals.
• Ensure the brand maintains its leadership position in the premium lifestyle and outdoor space while committing to meaningful environmental impact reduction.

Qualifications & Experience → The Skills You Bring

Required Skills and Experience

• 10+ years of leadership experience in concept, trend, and colour direction, with a strong focus on macro and micro trends, silhouette evolution, and sustainability, within the fashion, lifestyle, or outdoor industries.
• A proven ability to set strategic direction and drive meaningful change in a creative environment.
• Strong expertise in trend forecasting, including the ability to identify and analyze macro and micro cultural shifts.
• Exceptional storytelling, presentation, and concept story creation skills.
• Deep knowledge of silhouette trends, colour strategy, graphic design, and surface development, with a track record of delivering innovative, customer-centric, and sustainable products.
• Comfort with complex and ambiguous concepts, balancing visionary thinking with practical execution.
• A collaborative mindset, with strong interpersonal skills and an entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with sustainable design practices and innovative materials, including low-impact dyeing, recycling techniques, and renewable resources.
• A strong understanding of the premium lifestyle and outdoor industries.

At Roots we appreciate that skills and expertise are cultivated through a range of experiences. We are committed to reflecting Canada's diverse landscape in our products, team, and workplace culture. We value your unique perspective and encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet every listed requirement. Accommodations are available for applicants throughout the recruitment process.