Global lifestyle brand Roots is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an exclusive apparel and doll collaboration with fashion icon Barbie. Launched September 15, 2023, the respective brands come together to inspire Barbie and Roots aficionados to express themselves creatively while prioritizing style and comfort in any environment - from the great outdoors to the big, bustling city.
The limited-edition Barbie doll will be outfitted in Roots' most iconic styles from head-to-toe. The Roots Barbie sports a Roots Salt and Pepper™ crew sweatshirt with matching sweatpants, a Varsity Awards jacket with exclusive Barbie decals, TUFF brown boots, and a Banff weekender bag. Complementing the doll's outfit is a limited-edition, 30-piece collection of apparel and accessories across the women's, kids, and toddler categories.
"The inspiration for the Barbie x Roots doll came from the experiences Karuna [Scheinfeld] and I share as mothers of children from multicultural backgrounds," states Meghan Roach, President and CEO of Roots Corporation. "We wanted to embrace the rich diversity of Canadians and our global audience, including our young daughters. Teaming up with Barbie in our 50th anniversary year, we were excited to celebrate how Barbie has empowered young women over the last six decades to follow their dreams, something we are both passionate about as female executives."
As a trailblazer in the fashion industry for 50 years, Roots is recognized and beloved for expanding the expected parameters of style and comfort. Commemorating the significance of this milestone anniversary, Roots, in partnership with Barbie, produced a collectible item to honour the brand's rich heritage and celebrate its values.
"The Barbie x Roots Collection comes together at a meaningful moment in the brands' respective histories," said Steve Totzke, President and Chief Commercial Officer, Mattel. "As a 25-year Mattel veteran and proud Canadian, I am especially excited for this collaboration, featuring products that reflect the legacy of an iconic Canadian company, in what continues to be an incredibly celebratory year for Barbie ."
Ranging from $38 CAD (BARBIE™ X ROOTS MEDIUM ZIP POUCH) to $998 CAD (BARBIE™ X ROOTS VARSITY AWARDS JACKET), the limited-edition collection equally reflects both brand identities with subtle pops of Barbie™ pink and Roots Pine Grove green, from the apparel to the leather accessories. The size range will extend from XXS-4XL to reflect both Roots and the Barbie brands' joint mission of inspiring a more inclusive future. The doll is encased in custom packaging featuring Roots' commemorative 50th anniversary logo.
" This collaboration will offer a chance to relive the nostalgia of both Barbie and ROOTS with designs and pieces synonymous with Canada, now with a twist of Barbie pink" says Jennifer Gileno, Head of Licensing and Retail Development, Mattel Canada. "This collection has something for fans of all ages and we look forward to seeing families create and share meaningful memories wearing these iconic pieces"
"Having the opportunity to work on this collection with theBarbie team, dressing an icon in our iconic product, was already exciting, but to do so in our 50th year was that much more meaningful," shares Karuna Scheinfeld, Chief Product Officer of Roots. "
From having a role in designing the doll with Mattel andBarbie to crafting our handmadeBarbie x Roots Varsity Jacket in our Leather Factory in Toronto, the collaboration came together seamlessly to reflect our shared values of quality, inclusion, and fun."
The limited-edition apparel collection and commemorative Barbie doll ($69.99 CAD) will be available beginning September 15, 2023 in select Roots stores across Canada, the US, and Taiwan, along with select third-party retailers.