TIME MACHINE: 1977

Travelling back to 1977, today the Time Machine invites us to dream. Why? Because in the spring of that year ‘A New Hope’, the very first film of the Star Wars saga, hit the cinemas. Up until then, director George Lucas was only known for his indie movie ‘American Graffiti’. In 1977, he won over international audiences with his science fiction classic and subsequent chapters went on to thrill several generations. In a still- divided Berlin, David Bowie wrote ‘Heroes’, a pop-rock song that aspired to peace with lyrics like “…and we kissed, as though nothing could fall.”

And in sport? In tennis, the Argentinean player Guillermo Vilas shined bright. Legend has it that Vilas received his first racket at the age of six as a Christmas present, although in Mar del Plata, the city near Buenos Aires where he was born, everyone played football. His family foretold a future for their son on the clay courts. To be precise, his was destined to become the greatest South American tennis player of the 20th century. In 1977 at Roland-Garros, Vilas stunned the crowds with his uplifted backhand; a technique he picked up from the Australian player Rod Laver. His victory made him the first South American to win a Grand Slam tournament – and he became an instant icon.

However, his obra maestra that year, was at the US Open where he defeated none other than the American player Jimmy Connors – at the time number one seed in the world and winner of the tournament in the previous three years. Vilas only lost the first set to Connors: the rest of the match was a one man show where the Argentine turned out to be the undisputed star. During the match he wore the famous polo shirt that FILA had named after him. Designer Pierluigi Rolando created it after carefully studied the body contours of the champion. He emphasised his muscular shoulders with a red colour block and inserted three horizontal stripes at hip height to highlight, like an optical illusion, his waistline.

Vilas won the 1977 US Open (which, incidentally, was the last at Forest Hills on a green court, before moving to the hard surface of Flushing Meadows in ‘78) following the withdrawal of Björn Borg, who was injured. That aside, the Swedish champion was experiencing a magic moment. The same year he won his second Wimbledon and topped the ATP ranking. To celebrate, the Biella-based brand created a set of checked shorts for him, a fresh new look mixing a sporty spirit with natural flair and elegance.