Our Manifesto
We Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For
We are the teenagers who refused to wait for tomorrow. Born from salty hair, sandy toes, and endless days chasing waves across the Devon coast, we emerged from a business studies classroom with everything except the business plan - because we were too busy building something real.
We are Roots. Not just another clothing brand. Not another corporate sustainability initiative. We are the anti-brand for the planet. We are the rebellion wrapped in organic cotton. We are the cult brand run by teenagers who believe that true to our roots means putting people and planet before profit, always.
The World Told Us We Were Too Young
They said we would be the changemakers of tomorrow. We said, "Screw that. We're the changemakers of today."
Because while adults debate and delay, our planet burns. While corporations greenwash and gaslight, our oceans rise. While politicians promise and pivot, our future disappears. We didn't have time to wait for permission. We didn't have time to ask politely. We had time to act.
Founded in May 2024 by Lucas Brendon, Matt McEwen, Fyn Nadin, and Will Baker, we are more than a clothing company - we are a movement born from the grassroots, nurtured by the earth, and driven by the urgency that only youth can possess.
True to Our Roots: Our Foundation Principles
The Earth as Our Anchor
This is where it starts. In the wild spaces that shaped us — the rugged Devon cliffs, the rolling moors of Dartmoor, the sea breeze that carries the promise of adventure and the warning of climate change. This is where we learned that nature isn't a resource to be exploited; it's a relationship to be honored.
Every thread we weave, every story we tell, every profit we surrender — it all flows back to the grassroots. To the soil that grounds us. To the Roots that nourish us. Because we know something that traditional business forgot: True to our Roots means understanding that we are not separate from nature — we are nature.
The People as Our Purpose
We are not selling to customers. We are building with co-conspirators. Every person who wears Roots becomes part of our story, part of our mission, part of our rebellion against the forces that prioritise profit over people and planet.
Our Roots Crew isn't just a customer base — it's a community of change-makers, wave-riders, earth-defenders, and future-builders. When you wear Roots, you're not just wearing clothing. You're wearing a statement. A promise. A rebellion.
The Future as Our Responsibility
We are the generation that will live with the consequences of today's choices. We are the ones who will inherit a planet shaped by the decisions being made right now. That's why we can't afford to wait. That's why we can't afford to compromise. That's why we choose never business as usual.
Never Business as Usual: Our Revolutionary Approach
Profit? We Don't Do That Here
We don't do business as usual — every stitch disrupts the status quo for people and planet. We're not here to play by rules written by the same system that created this mess.
100% of profits don't go to shareholders. They go to the Earth. To grassroots movements fighting on the frontlines of climate change. To youth-led organisations. To the communities most affected by environmental destruction.
We are the only clothing company in the world who asks you not to buy our products if you can't afford them. Because we're not about consumption. We're about connection. We're about action. We're about change.
Quality Over Quantity, Always
While fast fashion floods the world with toxic trends, we champion slow fashion. While corporations chase quarterly profits, we chase generational change. While others talk about sustainability, we live it, breathe it, embody it.
Every piece we create is designed to last. Not just for a season, but for years. Not just as a garment, but as a statement piece that tells the story of a generation that refused to accept the status quo.
Transparency as Our Superpower
We believe in radical transparency. Every material we source, every decision we make, every penny we spend - it's all open for the world to see. Because transparency isn't just about accountability; it's about trust. And trust is the foundation of any real relationship.
The Crew That Changes Everything
Lucas Brendon: The Visionary Navigator
Our Director and Head of Media steers our ship with the passion of a debater and the heart of a wild camper. Lucas brings the strategic vision that keeps us focused on our mission while ensuring our message reaches the waves of change-makers we're building with.
Matt McEwen: The Community Voice
Our Head of Communications and Litter Picking doesn't just talk about change — he walks it. Whether he's amplifying our voice across platforms or leading community litter picks with his dog Bobby, Matt embodies the grassroots activism that defines who we are.
Fyn Nadin: The Craft Guardian
Our Head of Clothing ensures every piece we create walks the walk of sustainability and style. When he's not perfecting our garments, he's perfecting his form in Taekwondo — because both require discipline, precision, and respect for the craft.
Will Baker: The Bridge Builder
Our Head of Community Engagement connects us to the movements and communities that share our vision. Will understands that change doesn't happen in isolation — it happens through connection, collaboration, and collective action.
We're teenagers balancing school and saving the world. We're activists who understand that creativity and commerce can serve conservation. We're the generation that will live with the consequences of today's choices — so we're making different ones.
Our Values: The Compass That Guides Us
Natural Education
We believe in fostering deep connections between our clothing, our people, and the nature that inspires us. Every garment tells a story of the wild places that shaped us and the future we're fighting to protect.
Grassroots Movements
We believe in the power of community-driven action to create meaningful change. From our partnership with the Dartmoor Preservation Association to our support of youth-led environmental initiatives, we know that real change starts from the ground up.
Radical Transparency
We believe in 100% profit transparency — every penny going to repay humanity's obligation to the natural world. We believe in supply chain transparency, impact transparency, and decision-making transparency. Because the Earth deserves nothing less than our complete honesty.
Timeless Design
We believe in embracing quality craftsmanship that honours the planet and encourages mindful consumption. Our pieces aren't designed to follow trends — they're designed to set them. They're designed to last. They're designed to matter.
Youth Leadership
We believe that teenage urgency drives planetary change. We believe that youth voices should lead climate action. We believe that the future belongs to those who are brave enough to fight for it now.
What We Stand Against: The Forces We're Fighting
Corporate Greenwashing
We see through the marketing speak and empty promises. We reject the companies that talk about sustainability while practicing extraction. We refuse to be part of the problem disguised as the solution.
Fast Fashion Exploitation
We stand against the toxic cycle of overconsumption, worker exploitation, and environmental destruction that defines fast fashion. We believe that true fashion should enhance life, not destroy it.
Adult Inaction
We stand against the generational betrayal of those who had the power to act but chose comfort instead. We refuse to accept that "this is just how things are" when we can see exactly how things could be.
Climate Denial
We stand against those who deny the science, delay the action, and deflect the responsibility. The climate crisis is real, it's urgent, and it's happening now.
Profit Over Planet
We stand against the fundamental assumption that profit matters more than people and planet. We believe that this assumption is not just wrong — it's dangerous.
Our Products: Statements, Not Just Statement pieces
Designed for Impact
Every piece in our collection is designed to be more than just clothing — it's designed to be a conversation starter. Whether it's a hoodie that sparks discussions about sustainability or a t-shirt that connects wearers to the movements we support, our products are tools for change.
Sustainable by Design
We source ethically, produce responsibly, and distribute consciously. Every material choice, every production decision, every packaging option is made with the planet in mind. Because we believe that sustainable fashion shouldn't be a compromise — it should be an upgrade.
Built to Last
Our garments are designed to withstand not just wear and tear, but the test of time. We want you to be wearing your Roots pieces years from now, still proud of what they represent, still connected to the movement they helped you join.
Our Vision: The World We're Building
A World Where Youth Lead
We envision a world where teenage urgency drives planetary change. Where youth voices don't just have a seat at the table — they're building the table. Where the energy and idealism of young people is channeled into the systems change we desperately need.
A World Where Business Serves Life
We envision a world where business becomes a force for good. Where companies exist to solve problems, not create them. Where profit is a tool for positive impact, not the ultimate goal.
A World Where Fashion Heals
We envision a world where fashion becomes activism. Where clothing tells stories of regeneration instead of exploitation. Where every purchase plants seeds instead of problems. Where getting dressed becomes an act of rebellion against the forces destroying our planet.
A World Where Nature Wins
We envision a world where the natural world is not just protected but regenerated. Where wild spaces aren't just preserved but expanded. Where the relationship between humans and nature is one of reciprocity, not extraction.
The Choice Is Yours: Join the Rebellion
You can continue to buy from companies that prioritise shareholders over the planet. You can continue to support brands that talk about sustainability while practicing extraction. You can continue to choose business as usual.
Or you can join the rebellion.
You can wear your values. You can fund the frontlines. You can be part of the solution. You can be true to your roots. You can choose never business as usual.
Our Promise: The Commitment We Make To You
We promise to never compromise our values for profit. We promise to never greenwash our impact. We promise to never abandon the grassroots movements that need our support. We promise to always tell you the truth, even when it's uncomfortable.
To the Planet
We promise to always put the Earth first. We promise to measure our success not in sales figures but in environmental impact. We promise to use our platform to amplify the voices of those fighting for climate justice.
To Future Generations
We promise to leave the world better than we found it. We promise to use our youth not as an excuse for inexperience but as a superpower for change. We promise to never business as usual because the usual is killing our planet.
The Movement Continues: What Comes Next Local to Global
What started as a business studies project in Devon has become a global calling. We're connecting with youth-led movements around the world, supporting grassroots organizations across continents, and building a network of co-conspirators who share our vision.
Fashion to Multimedia
We're expanding beyond clothing to become a multimedia platform for change. Through creative projects, collaborative campaigns, and community initiatives, we're using every tool at our disposal to raise awareness and inspire action.
Teenagers to Leaders
We're proving that age is not a barrier to leadership. We're showing that teenagers can build businesses, lead movements, and change the world. We're inspiring other young people to stop waiting for permission and start creating change.
This Is Our Battle Cry
We are the teenagers who refused to wait.
We are the generation that chose action over apathy.
We are the wave-riders who understand that the biggest wave is the one we're riding right now.
We are the earth-defenders who know that there is no Planet B.
We are the future-builders who refuse to inherit a broken world.
We are Roots. We are the rebellion. We are the change.
And we're just getting started.
From the wild edges of Devon to the frontlines of climate action, from teenage dreams to global change, from business studies classroom to world-changing movement — this is the Roots Manifesto. Live it. Share it. Be it.
True to our Roots. Never business as usual.