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The history of FILA speaks for itself: founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in Biella, Italy, back in 1911, since its very foundation the label has successfully juggled between underwear and sportswear before embarking, more recently, on its shoes and apparel adventure. Now the fastest-growing brand in the global fashion scenario, 111 years on from its launch the South Korea-based manufacturer is still at the forefront of activewear-inspired style; a triumph FILA chose to celebrate by teaming up with streetwear label Aries on the launch of a new exclusive collection. Keep your eyes peeled as the collab is iconic!

Launching on May 5 and entitled Vela Nera (Black Sail), Aries x Fila finds its roots in the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur while also referencing the sailing jacket that FILA designed for Italian champion Giovanni Soldini in 1996. Here, the outerwear technical pieces are nearly entirely dominated by the colour black: a symbolic choice that nods to the unravelling of the mythological narration from which the collection originates. Having won the Minotaur, Theseus forgets to raise the white flag — a sign of victory. Unaware of his success, his father, believing he was dead, commits suicide by throwing himself off a cliff. 

Bold and authentic, Vela Nera draws on the dramatic charge of this story to revisit its evergreen essence through unisex, sailing-inspired sportswear, loose-fit tailoring, nylon tracksuits, and windcheater pants as well as bodycon womenswear like elastic bandage swimwear and seamless engineered base layers. Lensed by fashion photographer David Sims, the ad-hoc visual campaign reinforces the presence of mythological references, “using the eerie backdrop of Alberto Burri’s Cretto di Burri (Sicily) as a scene that transports an ancient tale into today’s world”.

From Aries, the collection inherits its streamlined, sparse, and often transfigured design, enriched for the occasion by graphics paying tribute to Greek mythology and referencing sailing codes. Coupled with FILA and Aries’s signature logos, the neutral shades permeating the collaboration contribute to “fusing their respective DNAs to a create a new one, with a stress on Italian-ness in the classical references and attention to detail”. ‍

Find out more by visiting FILA and Aries’s official websites.