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
Working closely with the Design Director and Senior Design team, the Designer, Womenswear is responsible for designing and developing product across multiple categories that embody the Roots brand vision and seasonal direction set by the Product Leadership Team.
The Designer, Womenswear will support the development of seasonal collections across ready-to-wear lifestyle categories including wovens, cut & sew, outerwear and knitwear, contributing to cohesive assortments that balance heritage, comfort, functionality and modern lifestyle design.
This role requires strong design sensibility, product knowledge, and the ability to manage product from concept through development, ensuring design intent, quality and brand integrity are maintained throughout the process.
Key Responsibilities → How You’ll Make an Impact
- Design and develop womenswear product that reflects the Roots design philosophy of Heritage, Style, Quality and Comfort.
- Partner with the Design Director and broader design team to interpret seasonal concepts and translate them into commercially viable product.
- Conduct research into fabrics, trims, silhouettes, color direction and emerging trends, identifying opportunities relevant to the Roots brand and customer.
- Design and develop product across lifestyle categories including woven tops and bottoms, knitwear, outerwear and cut & sew.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with graphics, merchandising, sourcing, product development and marketing teams to bring collections to life.
- Interpret line plans and merchandising frameworks to build balanced, cohesive assortments.
- Create and maintain accurate line lists, CADs and technical design packs to support product development.
- Participate in fit sessions, proto reviews and SMS reviews, ensuring design intent and product integrity are maintained.
- Work closely with Technical Design and product development teams to ensure fit, construction and functionality meet Roots quality standards.
- Support the development of fabrications, trims and washes in partnership with sourcing teams.
- Review fabric strike-offs, trims and lab dips as part of the development process.
- Maintain organized design files and seasonal documentation to support the design team and cross-functional partners.
- Manage multiple seasons and deadlines within the product development calendar.
- Stay informed and inspired by fashion trends, cultural movements, outdoor lifestyle and competitive brands.
- Contribute to a collaborative, creative and solution-oriented team culture.
Qualifications & Experience → The Skills You Bring
- Bachelor’s degree, diploma or equivalent post-secondary education in Fashion Design or related creative field.
- 4+ years experience in a fashion design role within womenswear or multi-category lifestyle product.
- Strong understanding of fabrication, garment construction, fit and product development processes.
- Experience designing across multiple lifestyle categories such as wovens, knitwear, cut & sew or outerwear.
- Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Microsoft Office is essential.
- Strong CAD development and garment presentation skills.
- Experience creating and maintaining technical design packs and specification packages.
- Ability to balance creative design thinking with commercial product awareness.
- Excellent verbal, written and presentation communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams.
- Knowledge of PDM systems is an asset
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.
Please note: Roots uses technology-assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to support parts of the recruitment process. These tools may be used to help review applications, assess qualifications, and support interview documentation. All hiring decisions are reviewed and made by our Talent team and key leaders involved in the recruitment process.
The posted salary range is intended to reflect the competitive market value of this role and is provided to support transparency in our hiring process. Final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to internal equity, relevant skills, demonstrated knowledge, experience, and overall fit for the position.
