Brooks Brothers and Fila Aim to Win Over Fans With Collab

A new pairing between Brooks Brothers and Fila is one people have not seen since the Williams sisters dominated doubles tennis some 20 years ago. The clothier of America's business class is teaming with the Italian athletic brand on a tennis-themed limited edition collection of apparel, footwear and accessories for both women and men, the two labels announced this week. "The Brooks Brothers x Fila collaboration serves up streetwear staples with a mix of performance and tailored styles presented with the signature white, navy and red color palette associated with each brand," the two brands said in a statement. The announcement also noted that Fila and Brooks Brothers are long-term partners of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, so the collaboration is a natural extension of that, blending the two brands' aesthetic. Trying on a new look After filing for bankruptcy last year and being subsequently acquired by Authentic Brands Group's operating company Sparc Group, Brooks Brothers is seeking new ways to show a different side of itself. Such efforts are vital given that office workers were dressing more casually prior to the pandemic, a trend that accelerated as more people now work from home. "Our team worked closely with theirs to celebrate each other’s unique heritages in a bold and innovative way," Ken Ohashi, Brooks Brothers' CEO, said of the partnership. "The result was a playful take on instantly distinguishable brand codes such as our iconic rep stripes, seersucker tailoring and our signature patchwork 'Fun' shirts all of which paired easily with Fila’s distinctive tennis styling, pioneering fabrications and footwear." Ohashi went on to note that Brooks Brothers also has a unique history in adapting sports apparel to everyday life, such as its button-down polo shirt, which was introduced in 1900 and was directly inspired by the pinned collars of shirts worn by polo players. Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst at consulting group Forrester Research, said the pairing makes sense, particularly because this time of year is close to tennis tournament Wimbledon. "It looks very on brand for Brooks Brothers and 'drops'/limited edition releases seem to definitely seem to be the way to go these days," she said, citing the effectiveness in recent times of similar offerings from brands like Supreme. 'Scandal on the court' The limited-edition collection is also accompanied by "Scandal on the Court," a campaign written, directed and produced by Cadence Films' Danny Sangra. The creative behind the campaign was led by Fila and one of its executive creative directors, Daniela del Percio, while its photography was done by by Annie Lai. The campaign is running on both Fila USA and Brooks Brothers' own social media channels as well as on paid social media and Vox Media.

Fashion News

Brooks Brothers and Fila Aim to Win Over Fans With Collaboration

For the clothier of America's business class, it's also a chance to show a different side of itself

Richard Collings

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Richard Collings