FILAPEDIA: CHANGE

The first page of our new FILAPEDIA starts with the word change. Change is an action that, whether sudden or planned, is unavoidable during the cycles of living beings. In Zoology, we speak of metamorphosis, or the transition from the larval to the adult stages. Numerous animals go through mutations that coincide with authentic bodily restructuring. It happens to the butterfly, who before developing wings is a caterpillar and later pupae. In the reptile world, we think of chameleons, who are capable of changing their body colour according to temperature and mood.

Change is such a fascinating concept that it has also captured the imagination of artists throughout time. ‘Metamorphosis’ is both the title of Ovid’s epic-mythological poem from 8 A.D. and of Franz Kafka’s famous novel published in 1915. In the first case, ancient myths are handed down to us with a succession of mutations, such as that of Narcissus, who was so in love with himself that he sprouted a flower. The transformation of Kafka’s protagonist into an enormous insect was a metaphor for the social isolation of modern man. We are always changing – we cannot help it. This was even the case of Orlando, the main character of Virginia Woolf’s famous novel from 1928.

The word change also appears inseparable in the centuries-old history of FILA. In 1973, when the Biella-based knitwear factory Fratelli Fila – MABY was transformed into FILA Sport and switched from producing undergarments to activewear, the impetus was to support the birth of a ‘New Italy’ in which sport reflected a social and cultural shift. The F-Box logo, a work of Sergio Privitera, takes inspiration from Pop Art. It represents an avant-garde no longer content with unchallenged painting and sculpture. The immediate success of the WHITE LINE tennis line (1974) did not rest on its laurels. On the contrary, the launch of the WHITE ROCK mountain line (1975) and AQUA TIME swimwear collection (1976) displayed an insatiable pursuit for the new.

Within this narrative, we must mention CHANGE THE GAME; the promotional campaign that ran from 1995 to 1998 and established the brand in the basketball shoe market. Dynamic images and action footage were enhanced by claims that read ‘Action can change into freedom. Obstacles can change into power. Fila can change your life’. Or simply put, ‘Let’s change the game’. This was the perfect philosophy for the American basketball player Grant Hill :, who inspired at least two FILA footwear designs that have gone down in history. After a 19-year career, 1,026 games in the NBA and seven All-Star Games, he is now Managing Director of USA Basketball.

Be the change you want to see in the world – Mahatma Gandhi Because these things will change / Can you feel it now? – Taylor Swift