FILA Taps Christopher Bevans as a Guest Designer and Creative Collaborator

2021 has been a successful year for FILA thus far, and the iconic brand continues to add to their list of exciting updates with a new announcement. FILA has tapped Christopher Bevans as a Guest Designer and Creative Collaborator in a partnership that will continue through 2022. Their first project includes the launch of a special-edition FILA Renno, with a design that bridges the gap between tennis and lifestyle.

Inspired by Bevans’ love for tennis, the limited-edition FILA Renno x Bevans features a vibrant color palette of tennis ball green and hard court blue on the FILA Energized® midsole cushioning. The revamped Renno design is crafted in recycled leather and mixed with nylon, suede, and ripstop mesh. It is constructed with a padded tongue and collar and mesh midsole detailing. The FILA logo is featured on the tongue, quarter, and back counter, while the Bevans logo is seen on the tongue. Rounding out the silhouette, the sock liner showcases Bevans’ signature above the FILA logo.

We spoke more with Chris about this partnership, the process of designing the shoe, and more in an interview that you can check out below.

ONE37pm: Congratulations on your role as Guest Designer and Creative Collaborator! How have things been going so far?

Bevans: Thank you! This opportunity has definitely been like a dream for me. As a young kid, I can remember watching tennis matches on TV and seeing FILA being worn by top tennis players, the ball crew, and the officials over the years. Now that I have this opportunity to partner with a brand that I’ve always admired, it has been amazing.

ONE37pm: You have a career that spans (many) years across the worlds of sports and style, and you’ve worked with (several) iconic streetwear and athletic brands. You also started your own award-winning line of men’s sportswear. Looking back, how did those experiences prepare you for what you are doing now?

Bevans: Running my own brand DYNE for 6 years showed me the importance of surrounding myself with experts and their respective roles. Over the years, gleaning operational experiences from a variety of companies and learning from their mistakes. All those learnings have positioned me to share knowledge and to mentor others - especially emerging entrepreneurs - and help them avoid the pitfalls of the business. To me, that’s what really matters.

ONE37pm: What are your plans for the remainder of 2021 and 2022?

Bevans: Well, firstly my priority this year is to stay healthy and continue to work on my tennis game.  I look forward to this partnership with FILA. I can’t wait to reveal the additional projects that we have in the works. I’m also having fun working with Shopify on their Creator Program. We’ll be launching some exciting capsules. And, most importantly spending quality time with my wife Christina and daughter Corina on our farm.

The FILA Renno x Bevans is priced $118 and available for purchase on FILA.com, beginning September 28. As the partnership continues, Bevans and FILA will launch a tennis collection in Spring '22, with additional collaborative drops throughout the year.