ROOTS TAPS MR. SATURDAY’S JOEY GOLLISH AS NEW CREATIVE DIRECTOR IN RESIDENCE

TORONTO, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Global apparel lifestyle brand, Roots Corporation (“Roots”), has appointed Joey Gollish as a Creative Director in Residence, effective March 7th, 2023 for a period expected to extend through 2025. This appointment represents the first time in Roots almost 50-year history that it has welcomed an outside creative to the brand. During his tenure, Gollish will work with Karuna Scheinfeld, Chief Product Officer, who leads the creative and design teams. Gollish, the Founder and Creative Director of the acclaimed fashion label Mr. Saturday, will continue to helm its design and creative direction during this period.

“As we embark on our 50^th year, we understand the importance of staying innovative and forward-looking in today’s ever-changing market. Through our collaboration with Mr. Saturday in December 2022, we found that Joey had a deep love for the Roots brand and a unique perspective that will support our long-term objective of increasing the brand’s global appeal,” commented Meghan Roach, President & CEO. “We look forward to the exciting opportunities this additional creative influence will bring to Roots.

This announcement marks an exciting new chapter for Mr. Saturday and Roots, who have worked closely together on a range of collaborations over the past two years, including the best-selling capsule collection “Roots Saturday Airlines,” released at the end of last year. Gollish has also worked in collaboration with Roots on leather outerwear, travel bags, and accessories for Mr. Saturday’s Fall/Winter 2023 runway show in Paris and will once again integrate Roots into Mr. Saturday’s Spring/Summer 2024 for Paris Fashion Week. The creative synergies Roots and Mr. Saturday experienced working on these projects led to the vision for this unique partnership.     

With shared values for outstanding craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and the pursuit of exploration and history, this appointment is a meaningful progression for the rising Canadian design talent with a leading Canadian legacy brand. Gollish has a distinct vision and specialty in storytelling around historical events that will bring a fresh perspective to Roots, while also honoring its storied past – a history that spans half a century as the brand celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Roots has recently renewed its collection to include sustainable content in the majority of its products while expanding its gender-free and extending sizing assortment. Working with Gollish represents another step in the Roots evolution, building on a tradition to create new and compelling work. Roots will also take a minority investment in Mr. Saturday as part of the arrangement.

At just 29 years old, Joey Gollish is one of the most celebrated and exciting designers coming out of Canada right now. Recently named Canada’s 2022 Menswear Designer of The Year by Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards, Gollish was also featured as one of the “New Names to Know” by Vogue and “1 of 20 Canadians Shaping the Next 20 Years of Culture” by Complex. He is also the winner of 4 Cannes Lions awards and a member of the inaugural cohort of HXOUSE – Toronto’s next generation creative incubator and accelerator founded by the Weeknd, La Mar Taylor, and Ahmed Ismael.

Through Mr. Saturday, the brand he founded in 2019, Gollish explores historical narratives, subcultures, movements and defining moments in culture through his design, products, creative visuals, and immersive experiences. Mr. Saturday has presented collections on the official American Collections Calendar at New York Fashion Week and on the official Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode’s calendar at Paris Fashion Week.

“Taking on the Creative Director residency for a company deeply rooted in my heritage is a true honour. As Roots celebrates its 50th anniversary, I am excited to reflect on its past and help shape its future. From David Bowie to my parents, Roots has been worn by some of my biggest inspirations. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to the brand’s next chapter as we continue to prioritize authenticity, craftsmanship, community, luxury, and storytelling; characteristics also shared by Mr. Saturday. I am grateful for the support of the founders and executive team, who share a vision for advancing the brand while respecting its legacy. I look forward to joining this talented team and embracing this new challenge in my career,” added Joey Gollish, Founder and Creative Director of Mr. Saturday.

For more information or interview requests, please contact the individuals below.

Roots Press Contacts:
In Canada: Marta Sadowski, [email protected]
In the US: Jamie Warner, [email protected]

Mr. Saturday Press Contacts:
Chapter 2:
Clara Jeon | [email protected]
Hanna Magstadt | [email protected]

ABOUT ROOTS
Established in 1973, Roots is a global lifestyle brand. Starting from a small cabin in northern Canada, Roots has become a global brand with over 100 corporate retail stores in Canada, two stores in the United States, and an eCommerce platform, www.roots.com, that serves over 55 international markets. We have more than 100 partner-operated stores in Asia, and we also operate a dedicated Roots-branded storefront on Tmall.com in China. We design, market, and sell a broad selection of products in different departments, including women’s, men’s, children’s,and gender-free apparel, leather goods, footwear, and accessories. Our products are built with uncompromising comfort, quality, and style that allows you to feel at home with nature. We offer products designed to meet life’s everyday adventures and provide you with the versatility to live your life to the fullest. We also wholesale through business-to-business channels and license the brand to a select group of licensees selling products to major retailers. Roots Corporation is a Canadian corporation doing business as “Roots” and “Roots Canada”.

ABOUT JOEY GOLLISH
Joey Gollish is the 29 year old Creative Director and Founder of the brand Mr. Saturday. Gollish explores storytelling about the past in order to contribute to the present and future. Gollish has shown Mr. Saturday collections on the official American Collections Calendar at New York Fashion Week and on the official Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode’s calendar at Paris Fashion Week. He continues to push boundaries for Canadian design and talent – being named one of the “New Names to Know” by Vogue, CAFA’S 2022 Canada’s Menswear Designer of The Year, “1 of 20 Canadians Shaping the Next 20 Years of Culture” by Complex, and the winner of 4 Cannes Lions awards. In 2023, Gollish was named the Creative Director of Canadian heritage brand Roots.

ABOUT MR. SATURDAY
Mr. Saturday is a Toronto based luxury label helmed by Joey Gollish. A brand that explores historical narratives, subcultures, movements and culture defining moments through its award winning products, creative visuals, campaigns, and immersive experiences, Mr. Saturday has cultivated a global following around its nostalgia driven designs and layered, extraordinary storytelling. The brand has shown on the official American Collections Calendar at New York Fashion Week and on the official Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode’s calendar at Paris Fashion Week. Named one of the “New Names to Know” by Vogue, Mr. Saturday has been featured in top outlets including Vogue, Highsnobiety, Hypebeast, WWD, and GQ, and is carried in select top retailers worldwide including SSENSE, Hirshliefers, Patron of the New, and Selfridges.

SOURCE Roots Canada