’Timelapse’ is an apt name for a new Rizzoli-published book on Italian sportswear brand Fila, an unorthodox, era- and genre-shifting biography which spans over a century of design and innovation for sporting luminaries – from sailor Giovanni Soldini to tennis player Björn Borg, who first put the brand on the map in the 1970s. 

The unique tome (available to pre-order from Waterstones, £65) was conceived by Italian journalist and fashion critic Angelo Flaccavento to ’tunnel both past and present into a single, forward-looking vision’. Alongside an introduction by Fendi menswear and accessories creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi, the richly illustrated volume is art directed by Milanese creative director and graphic designer Francesco Valtolina of Mousse magazine. 

’Fila: Timelapse’ published by Rizzoli

Fila was founded in Biella, Italy in 1911 by the brothers Ettore and Giansevero Fila, who originally sold sewing materials to the local Alpine community. Officially established as a brand in 1923, Fila expanded to cater further to the needs of those living in the Italian Alps, creating a range of products, from knitwear to underwear. It was in the 1970s, though, that Fila came to international prominence, signing a landmark deal with Swedish tennis player Björn Borg and outfitting him for some of his landmark victories (while also creating one of sport’s most enduring looks).

Borg adorns the cover of the new book, though those expecting a typical history of Fila should look elsewhere. Instead, Flaccavento weaves together a more unexpected tale, comprising both essays by authors Carlo Antonelli and Matteo Codignola, philosopher Emanuele Coccia, and researchers Marta Franceschini, Michele Galluzzo, and Lorenzo Ottone, alongside more abstract fiction and poetry inspired by Fila’s cultural impact and symbolic garments. For the latter, contributors include Charlie Fox, Silvia Calderoni, Jeph Burton, Rahim Attarzadeh and artists Karl Holmqvist and HB Hoyo.

Meanwhile, a rich catalogue of imagery spans past advertising campaigns, on-the-pitch looks, and an array of other archival imagery. Flaccavento says the collation of is ’instinctual rather than chronological… a dynamic journey through a fashion and sports phenomenon.’

’Experimental, engaging and informative, [it] is a journey that readers can hop into wherever they like; following the index, jumping back and forth, or even starting at the endpoint…. In this sense, it’s a true timelapse: a fluid document that testifies to the endurance and widespread relevance of Fila.’

’Fila: Timelapse’ is published by Rizzoli and is available to pre-order from Waterstones (£65, out 30 April, 2024). 

fila.co.uk