The Fila News

In 1911 in Biella, Italy Giansevero Fila began his epic venture into the world of sportswear fashion. Fila started out as an apparel manufacturing company and through the years grew to become a successful and iconic brand.  In 1969. Giansevero decided to contact Enrico Frachey to brainstorm on how to give their apparel manufacturing company a twist, for he felt the need to stand out in the market. They came up with the idea of bringing in Pierluigi Rolando, an engineer with an innate artistic flair, to develop an outerwear line. After accepting the offer, he decided to work with more noble fabrics like wool and cashmere to make the line more special. He also introduced an innovative technique made from the basic 4-needle sewing machine that paved way for reversible apparel through contrast flat stitching. Furthermore, he developed a colour palette that would be the working colours for the brand.

The first outerwear collection was launched in Fall/Winter 1972. The whole collection was composed of special fabrics and avant-garde designs which made them bold yet elegant. He soon planned the Spring/Summer collection which also became an eventual success. In 1973, Fila became the epitome of the tennis sports apparel industry, which was the golden sport of that time, through the creation of the legendary White Line. It was an innovative collection which differs from what the name might have suggested. It involved explosion of colors in a discipline which did not follow traditional elements. During the same year, the study and design of the Fila logo was assigned to Sergio Privitera, who was heavily influenced by the Pop Art era. He created those soft curved lines of the Fila logo that is still being used today. Rolando insisted to apply the colours, Ferrari Red and Navy Blue, for the logo which are still the corporate colors of Fila.
From there on, Pierluigi Rolando designed the most iconic and recognisable pieces in the history of Fila, from Bjorn Borg’s outfits seen across the world in the 5 consecutive victories at Wimbledon, to Guillermo Vilas’s tight-fitted polos and shorts and the high-tech garments that allowed Rheinhold Messner to climb – first in the world – the 14 peaks above 8000 mts without oxygen.

Today, those moments in Fila’s history are brought back into life by reviving Pierluigi Rolando’s designs. After designing the most iconic Fila products back in the 70’s and 80’s, worn by the best tennis players as well as the most intriguing trendsetters of those years, Rolando is working again for Fila on two new products. The products in the collaboration are  enriched by the energetic colour mix that echoes the mood of that era -white, as the base color (signifies the traditional tennis look) and the vivid asymmetrical prints which are signs of innovation and experimentation. Along with the strong influence of the Pop Art culture in the 80’s, the dynamic color play on the jackets mirrors the artistic and elegant sportsmanship that he had introduced in that generation. At present, his designs are more progressive than ever. Bearing in mind the quality of Italian craftsmanship, these garments are intended for maximum flexibility through the über-light premium fabrics they are composed of. Fila’s promise for every product it creates is the comfort they nurture and the sophistication it radiates, both on and off the tennis court. Fila continues to create sportswear pieces that will be historical icons of the future: they are not meant to blend but rather to stand out in the crowd.

The Pierluigi Rolando Limited Edition Collection is available at the Fila store on Corso Como in Milan.