It’s definitely 2017 tennis, but the apparel look on the court for Fila-sponsored players is straight out of the 1970s.
During this week’s BNP Paribas Open, walk into the Fila store situated by Stadium One at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and you can purchase many of the same outfits from the Heritage Collection you will see on American player John Isner, Croatia’s Marin Cilic, Czechoslovakia’s Karolína Plíšková or Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic.
“Heritage is a big theme in our on and off court collections this year in terms of the tennis apparel our athletes will be wearing and the lifestyle collection we offer off the court,” Zeller says. :These are all archival looks inspired by 1970s Fila tennis. You’ll see a lot of things like stripes, and window pane designs, and elements that are very iconically Fila. You’ll see a lot of our red, white and navy color wave. And everything has been updated for the modern athlete and modern consumer.”
VIDEO: Heather Zeller of Fila shows examples of the Heritage Collection worn by its men and women tennis players.
Zeller says the Heritage Collection is a favorite among the players because it reminds them of what they saw tennis stars of the past wearing on the court when they were growing up.
“They really like a lot of these classic styles,” Zeller says. “There are legends in the past, there are current athletes that they have admired and respected, so for them, it’s a lot of fun to bring back styles that they were familiar with when they grew up watching tennis, and wear the contemporary update today.”
VIDEO: Heather Zeller of Fila shows bolder color patterns trending for a younger demographic.
Content sponsored by Two Bunch Palms.