Palace founder Lev Tanju has been appointed the creative director of FILA's new FILA+ line.
Tanju, who founded Palace Skateboards with his skate team in 2009, will bring his expertise in streetwear to the 113-year-old Italian brand with its new line, which FILA promises will represent its "storied history in sportswear." In a chat with Vogue Business, Tanju said that he's been offered creative director roles in the past, but FILA+ is the first time he's decided to take one.
"FILA has such a rich and amazing history spanning over a hundred years. I was blown away by how vast the archive was, and loved all of it," said Tanju. "The story of Pierluigi Rolando, his drive towards innovation and his groundbreaking advancements really inspired me. I was also fond of the whole Italian FILA team: they are extremely genuine and like a family."
Tanju, who will continue his role as creative director at Palace, added that he wants FILA's "rich Italian heritage" to be at the center of the new line, which will be officially revealed to the public later this year in June.
"We are thrilled to welcome Lev as the Creative Director of FILA+. His forward-thinking approach is aligned with our mission to innovate while honoring FILA’s legacy as a premium sports brand," added FILA's global brand president Todd Klein. "This partnership emphasizes FILA’s ongoing ambition to be a leader in the sportswear Industry and our dedication to engaging a new base of loyal consumers."
Tanju said that he's not looking to collaborate FILA+ and Palace yet, but he told Vogue that "a lot of the advertising from the '90s reminded me of what we do" at Palace. "My taste and the direction I tend to go in are bold and a bit funny, with some irony, and it’s impossible for me personally not to do that," he added. "Clothes are important, and I love them, but I want to be having fun with them."
Check out a teaser for the first collection above.
