FILA x Maison MIHARA YASUHIROEmpowered by Italian Elegance and Harajuku Style

Italian high fashion sportswear icon FILA announced its collaboration with famous Japanese conceptual designer MIHARA YASUHIROto encapsulate the idea of ‘Empowered by elegance’ with a brand new ready-to-wear collection and the FM1 sneakers, taking fashion arena by storm with a powerful statement.

The success of the project lies in the renewal of the design codes of both parties while pushing creative boundaries with new synergistic impetus. A tribute to the tennis sport, the FILA x Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO collection represents the junction of classic Italian elegance and the Harajuku style that shapes Tokyo’s fashion landscape, where high fashion sportswear is redefined with the ‘Empowered by elegance’ concept.

Mr MIHARA YASUHIRO, the leading figure in the aesthetic universe of the brand, is known for rethinking fashion from an artistic perspective, giving his handmade creations the kind of warmth and sensuality unattainable with technology alone. The ‘God of Artistic Shoe’ once said, ‘A good design is unique and revolutionary at once.’ This as well summarises the concept of the FILA x Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO capsule: idiosyncratic, innovative and inspiring. ‘Chemistry’ is what Mr MIHARA YASUHIRO looked for in this collaboration. The creative intent to explore new aesthetic values while staying true to the DNA of FILA marks this collision between the innovative and the classic.

The collaboration draws on some of FILA’s most classic designs, including the uniform in which ‘Legend of Tennis’ Bjorn Borg won his five Wimbledon championships, and FILA’s first-ever shoe style T1 launched in 1985. Mr MIHARA YASUHIRO reimagined the quintessence of FILA from an artistic angle, integrating into his designs the logo and checker pattern, as he merged the brand’s signature tennis style and the red-white-blue palette with the young Japanese streetwear elements. The bold colour contrasts and over-the-top creativity give rise to an indelible sense of aesthetics, where the classic and the future enter into a wonderful dialogue.

As for material, the continued use of FILA’s classic apparel technology is met with the adoption of innovative sportswear design, with the balance between comfort and texture, as well as versatility and practicality in mind. The collaborative capsule is a combination of innovation and tradition in totality, encompassing menswear and womenswear, alongside accessories like backpack and belt bag. Three coveted online exclusive styles will also be available on FILA Hong Kong website, including a red-white patchwork dress, a women’s track jacket and men’s drawstring shorts.

Meanwhile, the FM1 by FILA x Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO is a contemporary take on FILA’s classic T1 in black, white and beige, drawing on the latter’s signature FILA Flag motif for elements that underpin the brand’s DNA of minimalist elegance. The shoe style is further elevated with Mr MIHARA YASUHIRO’s artisanal details, rendered with state-of-the-art technology. Of particular note is the bold and eye-catching sole, created by combining all-over granulation and the hand-kneaded prototype made by Mr MIHARA YASUHIRO with the help of technology, which adds to the sense of volume by extending the granulation onto the heel. In the middle of the sole sits the abbreviated ‘MMY’ logo for FILA x Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO, a subtle way to mark the identity of the collaboration.