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The Colombian-French designer will design a one-off collection of menswear, womenswear and accessories for the sportswear giant. The collection will debut with a fashion show in Manchester, UK on November 17.
“Manchester has an intriguing mix of colliding cultures,” Ackermann told BoF in an email. “It is a place where we hear the voices of the youth — the wave they create in sports, music and literature. And I wanted to focus on this unique point of view.”
The tie-up marks the latest move from Fila to elevate its brand profile as it recovers from the pandemic. Last year, Fila Holdings, the Seoul-based parent company that owns Fila’s Korean and US entities, returned to growth after pandemic lockdowns and supply chain disruptions dampened sales. Revenue for 2021 hit 3.8 trillion won ($2.8 billion), while net income was 338 billion won ($245 million).
Earlier this year, the company laid out a five-year strategic plan to surpass 4.4 trillion South Korean won ($3.2 billion) in revenue by 2026. Strengthening the brand’s position in both sports performance and lifestyle categories is an important part of the strategy. Other initiatives include investment in research and development, bolstering direct-to-consumer sales, and a new ESG strategy.
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Fila views collaborations with key luxury players as an effective way to spur brand momentum and help keep the label in the fashion zeitgeist. In recent years, it has worked on tie-ups with a range of global fashion brands and personalities, including Parisian label Y/Project, British brand Roksanda, American designer Brandon Maxwell, and stylist Katie Grand.
”I’ve always admired Haider Ackermann’s creativity,” Fila chairman Gene Yoon said in a statement, adding that the collaboration “represents the latest evolution of Fila to be at the forefront in sports, style and fashion.”
Learn more:
Beyond the Chunky Sneaker Craze: Fila’s Performance Pivot
The brand engineered a stellar revival after more than a decade of decline, hitting over $3 billion in sales in 2019. Now it’s looking to regain momentum with renewed focus on performance wear.
