Hostile lands, dizzy heights, perseverance and fatigue. Almost sci-fi adventures, where the finish line seems impossible to reach and landscapes have more and more alien features. The body is challenged, as is the mind, steady and resilient even when it’s soaked with feelings that only those who venture into the most untamed nature can recognize.
And then, you reach the top, at last.
This story is at FILA’s core, but it’s also the story of the brave people who pushed themselves to the furthest corners of the world and broke multiple records, risking everything for the thrill of exploration. Reinhold Messner, Ingemar Stenmark, the Mahre brothers are unique explorers and athletes with something in common: fearless determination, strong passion and blind faith in the technical equipment and accessories accompanying them on their unique quests.
Fila is the combination of these legendary tales, the values that drive these daring and invincible people, those of figures who are not afraid of being who they are and showing to the world their most authentic selves. So, for its F/W 2020 collection, FILA draws inspiration from these legends, studying the clothes we still associate them with, as well as from its cultural heritage. This is then translated into the contemporary world, hopefully making us fearless explorers too.
The iconic blue pants with which Reinhold Messner reached first the summit of Mount Everest in 1978 without using oxygen; the blue and yellow ski jumpsuit Ingemar Stenmark wore when he won the World championship in the same year, as well as the unforgettable kit of the Mahre twins, cult figures of the ski world and FILA ambassadors for years. These items become real symbols of the love for risk taking, thrill-seeking and the drastic sense of belonging that the renowned brand offers to those who fall in love with it, the same feelings we experience when practicing a sport.
The act of rediscovering and reenacting these looks – which are closely linked to the brand’s roots and our collective imagination – gave life to streamlined contemporary silhouettes, just as the heights Messner climbed and conquered on his own.
As for the colour palette and the collection’s volumes, the inspo comes from the plastic effect and the colour blocking of the Mahre twins jumpsuits, thus being crucial to trigger new aesthetic interpretations. The use of strong colours such as navy blue, red and white is a must, together with the innovative attitude, which is intrinsic in the DNA of FILA. These are all examples of how the brand’s expression is unfiltered and never makes compromises.
FILA F/W 2020 collection is ground-breaking, as well as poetic and becomes part of the experimental and cutting-edge – yet functional – outerwear world. It pays homage to FILA’s past while projecting itself straight into the future of winter clothing and breaking new aesthetic boundaries.
The collection is the highest representation of FILA’s heritage and reveals the brand in the most authentic – and at the same time – contemporary way; once again FILA showed its unquestionable presence within the global context . A pure celebration of uniqueness, passion and rebellion against the status quo, main features of the brand and of those who wear FILA.
This is why we couldn’t miss the chance to make our contribution through an ad hoc editorial curated by i-D’s team!
Credits
Text Carolina Davalli
Creative Direction Gloria Maria Cappelletti
Photography Marcello Junior Dino
Executive Producer Rosario Rex di Salvo
Styling Giorgia Imbrenda
Art Direction Maria Laura Buoninfante
Make-up Claudia Malavasi
Hair Alessia Bonotto
Talent Yujin, Chiara, Babs, Viggo