While most of us are looking at a winter spent inside, hunkering down in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Fila’s eyes are trained firmly on the great outdoors.
Looking first in the direction of Nepal, the Italian label’s AW20 collection pays tribute to Reinhold Messner, who, in case you’re not familiar, was the first person to summit Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen back in 1980, as well as record-breaking skiers the Mahre brothers and legendary footballer Ingemar Stenmark – all four of whom loved a bit of Fila as it happens.
With creative directors Antonino Ingrasciotta and Josef Graesel drawing inspiration from old photos of their chosen muses, before diving into Fila’s vast archive for the new season, February’s Milan Fashion Week saw them turn out a contemporary collection that nodded to the brand’s storied history.
With utilitarian parka jackets, lightweight windbreakers, and insulated puffers making up the offering’s outerwear selection, heavy-duty fleeces, sweatshirts, hoodies, gilets, and track-pants are presented in the label’s signature red, white, and navy colour palette. Finishing touches come via chunky knitted beanies, scarves, trapper hats, and balaclavas bearing its unmistakable ‘F’ logo.
Enlisting Claire Arnold to capture the collection, the photographer looked to friends from London collective Nine Nights when it came to casting the shoot. With musicians GAIKA, Shannen SP, and GLOR1A, on the line-up, the three are seen in a series of standout pieces out on the streets of the UK capital – proving that even though scaling Everest might not be in your sights, there’s still a place in your wardrobe for Fila’s latest offering.
Check it out in the gallery above and head here to shop.
Photography Claire Arnold / Styling Neesha Tulsi Champaneria / Hair Sheree-Jourdan / Beauty Grace Ellington