Earlier this week, French-Columbian designer Haider Ackermann took to his personal Instagram account for the announcement of an upcoming collaboration with FILA. The move is the latest in a slew of designer collaborations that FILA has orchestrated over the past several years, with iconic fashion houses such as Fendi and ‘Iykyk’ labels in the vein of Italian streetwear specialist, Aries.
Ackermann, hitherto best-known for dressing celebrities including Dune heavy Timothée Chalamet (and for his criminally brief stint at Berluti), has hinted the partnership with FILA will tap “the power of the unexpected” – a fair cop, given that his wheelhouse has historically centered on crafting $5,000 outerwear as opposed to sports apparel with daily applications.
Unsurprisingly, hard information about the collection remains pretty scant at this time, but in correspondence with Business of Fashion, Ackermann indicated that he’ll be unveiling the collab in Manchester later this year. That’s no coincidence, as the city’s “intriguing mix of colliding cultures” will be a focal point of inspiration.
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“I’ve always admired [his] creativity”, says Gene Yoon, Chairman of FILA Holdings. “This collection represents the latest evolution of FILA to be at the forefront in sports, style and fashion.”
The upcoming alignment with Ackermann highlights just how serious FILA is about breaking the stranglehold that competing sportswear giants Nike and New Balance have on ‘intersectional’ fashion consumers. The group’s latest strategic plan is targeting US$3.2 billion in revenue by 2026, with a key aspect of that performance involving diversification and further investment in FILA’s growing lifestyle categories.
Whatever the case, partnering with the designer who the late great Karl Lagerfeld once tipped as a possible successor to his tenure at Chanel isn’t a bad call. The full Haider Ackermann x FILA collab will be unveiled in Manchester on 17 November.
