In 2019, Ashleigh Barty claimed her first Premier Mandatory title at the Miami Open, won her maiden Grand Slam at Roland Garros, debuted at the No.1 ranking and crowned everything with the largest ever prize check in tennis history by clinching the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen title. Every off-season I do my Fashion Retrospections and I thought that it would be best to open this year’s recaps with Fila-clad Barty.
The Australian opened the season with a runner-up finish in Sydney, wearing the Fall 2018 Heritage collection. As you know, all Fila’s Heritage collections celebrate past in a modern package — they combine timeless sporty silhouettes with Fila’s archival colors of red, navy and white. In Sydney, Barty wore the Chinese red version of the Fall Heritage T-Back Tank and a simple white skirt with F-box at left hem.
Fila made a rare trip to the baby pink world with the Ruffles & Stripes collection at the Australian Open. Barty’s choice for Melbourne was the Fila Spring Stripe Trim Tank and Fila Spring Stripe Skirt.
Barty lifted her first champion’s trophy of 2019 in the Fila Aqua Sole Halter Tank, Fila Aqua Sole Pleated Hem Skirt, and blue Fila Axilus 2 Energized shoes.
Playing doubles with Azarenka, Barty also sported the Aqua Sole collection‘s Mesh Racer Tank.
During her title run at Roland Garros, Barty promoted the second installment of the P.L. Rolando collection, based on the sketches of Fila’s original creative director, Pierluigi Rolando. The black-and-white range reminds of Adidas’ famous zebra collection that dominated the 2016 French Open.
At Wimbledon, the 23-year-old wore the Full Coverage Tank and matching skort from the Match Play collection that features playful mesh overlays and orange pops of color.
In Toronto and Cincinnati, Barty got back to blue and white, this time in the Love Game collection and its Racerback Tank paired with a pure white skirt.
At the US Open, Wuhan and Beijing, Barty promoted Fila’s Awning collection, characterized by pops of fuchsia purple and orange peel offset by traditional navy. Here we can see Barty in fuchsia purple Awning Halter Tank, white Awning Pleated Skirt, and orange Fila Axilus 2 Energized shoes.
Wearing the navy Fall Heritage Racerback Tank, a simple design with subtle chevron stripes at upper back, and white Fall Heritage Solid Skirt, featuring a rubber F-box at left hem as a little detail, Barty capped the 2019 season with the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen title and a record-breaking check of $4.42 million. Here you can find more info on Fila’s Fall 2019 Heritage collection.
The first time I featured Fila in my Fashion Retrospections was in 2010 with Kim Clijsters, whose unbelievable return to the tour we’re awaiting. Through the years, a variety of players were Fila’s most prominent representatives: Svetlana Kuznetsova (now wearing Qiaodan), Jelena Jankovic (doesn’t play any more), and current world No.2 Karolina Pliskova (a top player who is now taking a back seat to the No.1-ranked Barty).
Generally I think the Fila clothes are nice. They have fairly classic styles which flatter everyone and the colours are generally not to outlandish. They are not adventurous but they rarely have a bad fail either. It’s interesting that the women they sponsor are generally the more sporty ones rather than the pretty-pretty ones like Wozniacki and Sharapova.
CLT, I admire Fila for staying true to its roots. Even though I really like extraordinary tennis fashion that features lace, crystals and what not, it’s also good to have a brand that nurtures classic style with a modern twist.