Fila (company)
Encyclopedia
Fila is one of the world's largest sportswear
manufacturing companies. Founded in 1911 in Italy
, Fila has been owned and operated from South Korea
since a takeover in 2007. Headed by chairman and CEO Yoon-Soo Yoon, Fila now has offices in 11 countries worldwide.
, Piedmont
, by the Fila brothers in 1911. It originally started by making clothing for the people of the Italian Alps
, now manufacturing sportswear for men, women, kids and athletes.
The company's primary product was originally underwear, before moving into sportswear in the 1970s, initially with the endorsement of tennis player Björn Borg
.
The original Italian ownership shop Holding di Partecipazioni sold the company to US hedge fund
Cerberus Capital Management
in 2003, after the company over-committed itself to expensive athletic endorsements, at a time when margins were under pressure. Cerberus owned Fila through holding company Sports Brands International, which owned and operated all Fila businesses around the world with the exception of Fila Korea, which was a separate company operating the brand under licence.
In January 2007, the global Fila brand and all its international subsidiaries were acquired by Fila Korea from SBI, which made it the largest South Korean sportswear company. Fila Korea currently holds all of the rights to the worldwide use of footwear and apparel brands of the parent firm.
In 2009, ANTA Sports
acquired the rights to use the brand in China (the company "Full Prospect"), from Belle International
, Fila Korea still owned 15% shares of the joint venture company "Full Prospect".
On May 2011, Fila Korea Ltd. has acquired global golf equipment maker Acushnet Company
, becoming the new owner of leading golf brands such as Titleist
for $1.23 billion.
, running
, men's training
, basketball
, golf
, swimming
, and Fila's own line of apparel.
, running
, cross training
, golf
, swimming
, and Fila's own line of vintage
apparel.
Brandon Davie Michael Green
Football Figueirense Futebol Clube
Tennis
Other sponsorships Son Yeon-Jae
Ryoma Echizen
(fictional anime
character) Paris Hilton
Australian Cricket Team
St. Mirren F.C.
Conference National
- Ball Supplier
Singers
Fila in pop culture
External links
Sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons....
manufacturing companies. Founded in 1911 in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Fila has been owned and operated from South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
since a takeover in 2007. Headed by chairman and CEO Yoon-Soo Yoon, Fila now has offices in 11 countries worldwide.
History
Fila was created in BiellaBiella
Biella is a town and comune in the northern Italian region of Piemonte, the capital of the province of the same name, with some 45,800 inhabitants as of 2009. It is located about 80 km northeast of Turin and about 80 km west-northwest of Milan.It lies in the foothills of the Alps,...
, Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, by the Fila brothers in 1911. It originally started by making clothing for the people of the Italian Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, now manufacturing sportswear for men, women, kids and athletes.
The company's primary product was originally underwear, before moving into sportswear in the 1970s, initially with the endorsement of tennis player Björn Borg
Björn Borg
Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
.
The original Italian ownership shop Holding di Partecipazioni sold the company to US hedge fund
Hedge fund
A hedge fund is a private pool of capital actively managed by an investment adviser. Hedge funds are only open for investment to a limited number of accredited or qualified investors who meet criteria set by regulators. These investors can be institutions, such as pension funds, university...
Cerberus Capital Management
Cerberus Capital Management
Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. is one of the largest private equity investment firms in the United States. The firm is based in New York City, and run by -year-old financier Steve Feinberg. Former U.S...
in 2003, after the company over-committed itself to expensive athletic endorsements, at a time when margins were under pressure. Cerberus owned Fila through holding company Sports Brands International, which owned and operated all Fila businesses around the world with the exception of Fila Korea, which was a separate company operating the brand under licence.
In January 2007, the global Fila brand and all its international subsidiaries were acquired by Fila Korea from SBI, which made it the largest South Korean sportswear company. Fila Korea currently holds all of the rights to the worldwide use of footwear and apparel brands of the parent firm.
In 2009, ANTA Sports
Anta Sports
Anta Sports Products Limited is a branded sportswear company in China. It involves the business of designing, developing, manufacture and marketing sportswear, including sports footwear, apparel and accessory under its own brand name, ANTA...
acquired the rights to use the brand in China (the company "Full Prospect"), from Belle International
Belle International
Belle International Holdings Limited is the No. 1 woman's shoe retailer in the People's Republic of China, with 22% domestic market share. It is engaged in the manufacturing, distribution and retail sales of footwear products...
, Fila Korea still owned 15% shares of the joint venture company "Full Prospect".
On May 2011, Fila Korea Ltd. has acquired global golf equipment maker Acushnet Company
Acushnet Company
The Acushnet Company is a subsidiary of the Fortune Brands Corporation that makes golf equipment and golfing apparel.However, Fortune Brands announced on December 8, 2010, that it planned to focus on its liquor business, and would spin off or sell other parts of the company — including home...
, becoming the new owner of leading golf brands such as Titleist
Titleist
Titleist is a brand name owned by Fila for golf equipment and apparel products produced by its subsidiary called the Acushnet Company, which is headquartered in Fairhaven, Massachusetts....
for $1.23 billion.
Apparel
Men
The men's Fila line of sportswear include apparel for such sports as tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, running
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, men's training
Cross training
Cross-training refers to an athlete training in sports other than the one that athlete competes in with a goal of improving overall performance...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, and Fila's own line of apparel.
Women
The women's Fila line of sportswear include apparel for such sports as tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, running
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, cross training
Cross training
Cross-training refers to an athlete training in sports other than the one that athlete competes in with a goal of improving overall performance...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, and Fila's own line of vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
apparel.
Brandon Davie Michael GreenMichael Green (basketball, born 1985)Michael Green is an American basketball player. He played with Antalya Büyükşehir Belediyesi of the Turkish Basketball League, Liege in Belgium and now Cantù in Italy. Green formerly played with the Butler University Bulldogs. Green was the Horizon League men's basketball player of the year in...
Grant HillGrant Hill (basketball)Grant Henry Hill is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Phoenix Suns. As a collegian with Duke University and early in his professional career with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was widely considered to be one of the best all-around players in the game, often...
Jerry StackhouseJerry StackhouseJerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American professional basketball player who plays both shooting guard and small forward. He most recently played for the Miami Heat. He is now an NBA TV analyst but remains as an eligible free agent....
Football Figueirense Futebol ClubeFigueirense Futebol ClubeFigueirense Futebol Clube, also known as Figueirense, is a Brazilian football team in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina.-History:In 1921, the club was founded as Figueirense Foot-ball Club. The club is named Figueirense after the neighborhood where it is located, in Centro neighborhood). Figueirense...
BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
Notts CountyNotts County F.C.Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
AFC Bournemouth Busan I'Park Club Deportivo Atlético Balboa
Tennis
| Eduardo Schwank Eduardo Schwank Eduardo Jonatan Schwank is a professional tennis player from Argentina on the ATP Tour. He is currently coached by Javier Nalbandian, the brother of David Nalbandian.... Horacio Zeballos Jelena Dokić Jelena Dokic Jelena Dokić is an Australian female professional tennis player.During the height of her career, she played for Serbia and Montenegro and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4 on 19 August 2002. After several family-related difficulties , she slowly slipped down the rankings in 2006... Kim Clijsters Kim Clijsters Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian professional tennis player. As of 7 November 2011, Clijsters is ranked No. 13 in singles. Clijsters is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles.... Rainer Schüttler Rainer Schüttler Rainer Schüttler is a German professional tennis player, ranked World No. 113 in the ATP rankings. He is the last German player who reached a final in a grand slam tournament.... Ágnes Szávay Ágnes Szávay Ágnes Szávay is a professional tennis player from Hungary. She is the country's highest ranked tennis player. She was the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2007. She achieved her career high ranking of World No. 13 on April 14, 2008.- Background :... Andreas Seppi Andreas Seppi Andreas Seppi is a professional tennis player from South Tyrol, northern Italy, who turned professional in 2000. He considers clay and hard courts his favourite surfaces. and is coached by Massimo Sartori.... |
Mikhail Kukushkin Mikhail Kukushkin Mikhail Kukushkin is a professional Kazakh tennis player of Russian origin.-History:Born in Volgograd, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, he turned pro in 2006 and achieved his highest ranking on 1 November 2010.... Marina Erakovic Marina Erakovic Marina Erakovic is a New Zealand professional tennis player of Croatian background. Her career high in Women's Tennis Association doubles ranking is World No. 43, achieved on 27 October 2008, and in singles it is No. 49, achieved on 7 July 2008. As of 21 November 2011, she is World No... Irina-Camelia Begu Svetlana Kuznetsova Svetlana Kuznetsova Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player and as of October 10, 2011 ranked No. 21 in the WTA singles and No. 90 in the doubles ranking. Kuznetsova has appeared in four singles Grand Slam finals, winning two, and has also appeared in six doubles... Dmitry Tursunov Dmitry Tursunov Dmitry Igorevich Tursunov is a Russian professional male tennis player. He was 12 years old when he came to the United States to train and further his prospects of becoming a professional player.... Alisa Kleybanova Alisa Kleybanova Alisa Mikhaelovna Kleybanova is a Russian professional tennis player. Her highest WTA world ranking to date is No. 20, achieved on February 21, 2010... Anna Chakvetadze Anna Chakvetadze Anna Djambulilovna Chakvetadze is a Russian professional tennis player . On September 10, 2007, she reached her career-high professional singles ranking of World No. 5. She has won eight WTA Singles Titles and appeared in the 2007 US Open semifinals. As of July 4, 2011, Chakvetadze is ranked World... |
Igor Kunitsyn Igor Kunitsyn Igor Kunitsyn is a professional male tennis player from Russia. He made it into the top 100 for the first time in 2006, and reached a career-high singles ranking of 35 on July 6, 2009.-Early life:... Vera Dushevina Vera Dushevina Vera Yevgenyevna Dushevina is a Russian professional female tennis player. She was born in Moscow but now resides in Khimki, Russia. In 2006, she privately amended the presentation of her surname so as to be more English language friendly, adopting Dushevina in place of Douchevina which is a... Polona Hercog Polona Hercog Polona Hercog is a Slovenian tennis player. Her highest ranking is No. 35 in singles and No. 56 in doubles. Hercog has won two WTA Tour doubles title and one singles title. She also enjoyed success on the ITF Circuit, winning nine singles and five doubles titles... Janko Tipsarević Janko Tipsarevic Janko Tipsarević is a Serbian tennis player. His career-high ranking is No. 9, achieved on 14 November 2011. He is the 117th player in history to crack the top 10.... James Blake James Blake James Riley Blake is an American professional tennis player. Blake is known for his speed and powerful, flat forehand. As of August 2011, Blake is ranked no. 63 among active male players with 24 career finals appearances... Vania King Vania King Vania King is a Taiwanese American female tennis player. King won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles with Kazakh partner Yaroslava Shvedova.... |
Other sponsorships Son Yeon-Jae
Son Yeon-Jae
Son Yeon-Jae is a South Korean rhythmic gymnast. She is a member of the South Korean national gymnastics team, based in Taereung, Seoul. She is the 2010 Asian Games bronze medalist. She is currently managed by the IB Sports agency.-Reference:...
Ryoma Echizen
Ryoma Echizen
is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga and anime series The Prince of Tennis created by Takeshi Konomi. In the series, Ryoma is portrayed as a twelve-year-old tennis prodigy who won four consecutive Junior Tennis Tournaments in America. His father is Nanjiro Echizen, a former...
(fictional anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
character) Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
Australian Cricket Team
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
St. Mirren F.C.
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
- Ball Supplier
Singers
Singers that have used, or are currently using, Fila apparel include:
- Robert SmithRobert Smith (musician)Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
- Hurricane ChrisHurricane Chris (rapper)Chris Dooley, Jr. , better known by his stage name Hurricane Chris, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 2007 hit single "A Bay Bay" from his debut album 51/50 Ratchet. In 2009, Chris released his second album Unleashed.- Early life :Hurricane Chris was born and raised in the Cedar Grove...
- DiamondDiamond (rapper)For the D.I.T.C. rapper and producer, see Diamond D.Brittany Nicole Carpenter , better known by her stage name Diamond, is an American rapper and former member of the group Crime Mob.-Early life:...
- Boxie
- NasNasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
- Big Bang (Korean Pop Group)
Fila in pop culture
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
Hurricane Chris (rapper)
Chris Dooley, Jr. , better known by his stage name Hurricane Chris, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 2007 hit single "A Bay Bay" from his debut album 51/50 Ratchet. In 2009, Chris released his second album Unleashed.- Early life :Hurricane Chris was born and raised in the Cedar Grove...
Diamond (rapper)
For the D.I.T.C. rapper and producer, see Diamond D.Brittany Nicole Carpenter , better known by her stage name Diamond, is an American rapper and former member of the group Crime Mob.-Early life:...
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
- The brand Fila was heavily featured in the 1986 movie Soul ManSoul ManSoul Man may refer to:*"Soul Man" , a hit song by Sam & Dave from 1967*Soul Man , a 1986 film starring C. Thomas Howell*Soul Man , a 2006 album by X Factor runner-up Andy Abraham...
. - The Fila Store is one of the drop off points in the video game Crazy Taxi.
- Fila Decathlon was the title of a game for Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
Developed by THQTHQTHQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
. - Toji Suzahara from Neon Genesis EvangelionNeon Genesis Evangelion, commonly referred to as Evangelion, is a commercially and critically successful Japanese anime series that began airing in October 1995. The series was highly influential, and launched the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It garnered several major animation awards...
wears a track jacket with the word FILA stitched on the front. - Fila apparel was also very popular in the 1980s rap scene (today often called Old school hip hopOld school hip hopOld school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
). Examples are the song "Do the Fila" by Steady BSteady BWarren McGlone , known by the stage name Steady B, was an American rapper and emcee who, along with Schoolly D, the Fresh Prince, and Three Times Dope, was one of the first wave of Philadelphia-area rappers to gain notoriety in the mid to late 1980s...
, "Put your Fila's on" by Schoolly DSchoolly DJesse B. Weaver Jr. , better known by the stage name Schoolly D, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.- Career :...
or even a whole group labeled Fila Fresh CrewFila Fresh CrewThe Fila Fresh Crew was a rap group based in Dallas, Texas and consisted of Fresh K, Dr. Rock and The D.O.C. . Dr. Rock's association with Dr. Dre during his stint as a DJ for the World Class Wreckin' Cru helped land the Fila Fresh Crew a spot on the N.W.A. and the Posse compilation album in 1987...
. Also the cover of Just-IceJust-IceJust-Ice A former bouncer at punk clubs, Ice was one of the first of the New York MCs to embrace hardcore rap, and when he burst out of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, as Just-Ice, he gained instant notoriety. Muscle-bound, tattooed, aggressive—he resembled Mike Tyson in more than just looks—and with a...
's first album makes use of Fila signs. - On the other hand, in their 1989 song "The Sounds of ScienceThe Sounds of Science (song)The Sounds of Science is the 6th track on the album Paul's Boutique by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989.* Produced & written by the Beastie Boys & the Dust Brothers.* Engineered by Mario Caldato & Allen Abrahamson....
", the Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
exhorted listeners to "Rock my AdidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
; never rock Fila." - However, in a dramatic reversal five years later, Mike D tried to mount a Fila revival, only to encounter considerable resistance: "Step into the party with the Fila fresh gear, people looking at me like I was David KoreshDavid KoreshDavid Koresh , born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of a Branch Davidian religious sect, believing himself to be its final prophet. Howell legally changed his name to David Koresh on May 15, 1990. A 1993 raid by the U.S...
here" ("The Scoop", Ill CommunicationIll CommunicationIll Communication is the fourth studio album by the Beastie Boys. It was released on May 24, 1994 via Grand Royal Records. It was remastered and made available on the Beastie Boys' Web site on July 7, 2009....
, 1994). - The main character of Prince of Tennis, Echizen Ryoma wears Fila sportswear for everyday use. His Fila cap and shoes are his trademark.
External links