14/05/2026
KUALA LUMPUR, October 18, 2023 – Sports-inspired lifestyle brand FILA launched the FILA x Smiley Collection that carries a jovial and cheerful disposition to match the season’s sunny vibes. With a wide range of items from apparel to footwear, the extensive lineup combines the synergy of two of the biggest names in lifestyle fashion to take fans’ streetstyle quotient a few notches up. The Malaysian launch of FILA x Smiley is part of the collection’s regional roll-out, including in Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan. The collaboration banks on FILA’s heritage, having been founded by the Fila brothers in Italy more than 100 years ago. The brand started with a textile shop which later expanded into apparel. A subsequent merger with Fila Fratelli made FILA a global brand available all over the world, and one that was closely linked to tennis. To this day, FILA (now owned by FILA Korea) is proud of its heritage that’s closely linked to its Italian design DNA as it paves new roads in lifestyle and performance wear to match the modern fashion demand. FILA was the first brand to break the all-white mould of tennis wear and collaborations with 1970’s tennis greats like John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg sealed the brand’s status as a respectable tennis clothing label. That same envelope-pushing philosophy is found with The Smiley Company, whose simple, yellow smiling face has appeared on countless items as the brand encourages people to embrace the positive gesture and to “Take the Time to Smile”. Inspired by optimism while embracing the tennis lifestyle, the FILA x Smiley Collection captures the vibrant spirit of youth. FILA Southeast Asia marketing director Jimmy Jin(Bohyun Jin) says the collaboration is about celebrating the influence of tennis, beyond the court and onto the streets. “FILA is all about inspiring individuals to embrace the spirit of tennis and integrate it into their everyday lives, fostering a sense of energy and style, while Smiley is about positivity and a cheerful attitude and they gel seamlessly with FILA. By incorporating tennis-inspired aesthetics, the FILA x Smiley collection channels youthful positivity, streetstyle coolness and puts fun into styling and dressing up.” Designed for men and women, the highlight of the collection is the Original Tennis OG 1985, FILA’s iconic performance tennis shoe of the time. Reinstated to its former glory but adapted to the sneaker-loving crowd of 2023, this one comes with the classic FILA design with a yellow Smiley icon at the heels. There are also vintage tennis jackets and pleated skirts for a cute touch of retro, accented with the Smiley icon and T-shirts and shorts for fuss-free dressing but with a touch of style. To mark the launch, a FILA x Smiley pop-up will take place at Blue Atrium Concourse in Sunway Pyramid from October 18 to 22, 2023, complete with a FILA x Smiley giant tennis ball replica. Themed Full Court Fun, the social media activation incorporates games and other activities where visitors stand a chance to win premium FILA x Smiley items. All you need to do is dodge the lemons and grab as many Smiley Tennis Balls as you can in 30 seconds. Tag @Fila in Instagram, share and challenge a friend and you may walk away with money-can’t-buy special prizes. FILA’s spokesperson says the on-ground event is the brand’s way to bring the experiential FILA lifestyle experience to consumers. “It’s a chance for them to experience the essence of the brand with games, activities, photo op spots and more. They can also see the collection up-close and understand how this line will up their style game.” Designed to be welcoming and fresh, the entire set-up combines the coolness of the collection with the game FILA is strongly associated with. There is also a full showcase of the FILA x Smiley collection for customers to browse and buy, photo opportunity spots with cool tennis accents plus a special Instagram filter. The FILA x Smiley collection is priced from RM159 to RM269 and are available all Sports Direct outlets from 18th October, 2023.