FILA and Highsnobiety present an archive-inspired tennis capsule, designed by Highsnobiety and paying homage to FILA’s Italian golden age of the 1970s and 1980s. From the archive, back into play: the collection reinterprets FILA’s classic silhouettes, heritage stripes, and signature colors for an everyday wardrobe.
During their heyday, FILA brought a distinct Italian attitude to tennis: confident color, graphic stripes, close-cut sportswear, and an effortless balance of performance and style. Worn by players such as Björn Borg, Adriano Panatta, Corrado Barazzutti, and Paolo Bertolucci, it was the era when tennis became a cultural style.
For the collaboration, Highsnobiety went into FILA’s archive to study the original garments, from the Settanta tracksuit and the 1988 Lawn Tennis Polo to the pinstripe polo often worn by Borg, and the construction, proportions, and codes that gave them character. Rather than reissuing them, the design team treated the archive as a foundation: selecting what endures and refining it through subtle decisions in material, fit, and finish. The result moves easily between the court and everyday dressing.
The collection draws on the idea of ‘Play to Rally’: a rally only exists because someone sends something back. Each piece starts with an archival FILA reference and returns it with a new point of view.
The collection includes a raglan tracksuit in Dark Sapphire and Weathervane Grey, cut from a custom pinstripe jacquard inspired by FILA’s archival pinstripe polos; a cotton piqué polo in Antique White and Fiery Red, based on FILA’s 1988 Lawn Tennis Polo; and a T-shirt with a heritage-stripe collar in Egret and Dark Sapphire.
It also introduces a new nylon and suede sneaker in Weathervane Grey, inspired by vintage sportswear and paired with a classic FILA headband, plus a canvas tennis tote in Antique White with an “H” on one side and an “F” on the other.
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The palette draws on FILA’s tennis heritage: classic off-whites, signature navy, muted grey, and bold red. Shot in Berlin, the campaign “The Rally Within” turns the city into a court, set against its modernist architecture. Through multiple exposures, each model shares the frame with different versions of themselves, turning the rally into an exchange with oneself. The pieces are styled for wear both on and off the court.
To mark the launch, FILA and Highsnobiety will host a day at Villa d’Este on Lake Como on November 4, bringing guests from Milan to play on the villa’s red clay courts, followed by lunch, a live drawing class, and an aperitivo.
