FILA celebrates 110th anniversary by collaborating with British stylist Katie Grand

Italian global sportswear brand, Fila, is celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2021. To honor its heritage, the brand is launching a unique collaboration with British stylist, curator, creative director, and founder of The Perfect Magazine, Katie Grand.

The new collection highlights the history, heritage, and spirit of the Italian brand by reinventing past looks from the Fila archive for a modern redesign.

Grand says Fila’s history in sports inspired her to focus on tennis, mountain, water, basketball, golf, and motocross when curating the collection.

The collaboration will be presented with a unique video, set to debut during Milan Fashion Week in later February.

“Fila is one of most enduring sportswear brands in existence, and their archive is phenomenal and extensive,” said Katie Grand in a press release.

“With shoes dating back to the eighties and the most amazing books full of illustrations by the designer Pierluigi Rolando - shelf upon shelf of them - it was super inspiring. I started with sports categories that Fila is known for and put archive pieces into themes. Then we worked on making the fit more contemporary.”

Gene Yoon, global chairman at Fila, added: “We will celebrate this milestone and Fila’s worldwide accomplishments throughout the year, beginning with a partnership with Katie Grand. This project will honor our legacy while modernizing iconic pieces for all generations of Fila fans. Fila’s evolution has been fueled by creativity in design, performance, and style. Our rich heritage includes unforgettable moments, epic victories, and legendary individuals who transformed sports and fashion.”

Fila will also launch a microsite for the anniversary. The interactive site will explore the brand’s influence in sport and style, highlighting the historical context of its most distinguished fashion creations and sports moments through an interactive timeline with photos and video footage.

photo: Fila press