Renowned for contemporary sporty pieces and a playful take on preppy, New York brand Rowing Blazers has delivered yet another fun and subversive sporting collection. Tackling the game of tennis this time, the label founded by US rowing champion Jack Carlson has unveiled a collaboration with FILA and Babar the Elephant, the children’s book character created by French author and illustrator Jean de Brunhoff in 1931. “I’ve had a print of Babar and his family playing tennis hanging on my wall for as long as I can remember. It’s serene, and it brings together two of my favourite things: Babar and the game of tennis. Babar the Elephant is, perhaps, my favourite character in all of children’s literature. He had style, taste, and great friends and family,” said Jack Carlson.
A 15-piece capsule comprising of apparel, accessories and footwear, the collection builds on iconic FILA silhouettes including polo shirts, tracksuits, a crewneck sweatshirt, graphic tees, shorts and tennis skirt with matching accessories including a tennis bag and two baseball caps. Front and centre on each piece sits Babar the Elephant, swapping his signature green suit for court-ready attire, the collection is based in a co-branded colour palette of white, navy, green and yellow.
Collaborative design elements feature the zig-zag pattern synonymous with the Rowing Blazers brand and a variety of custom logos, with Babar printed on each piece dressed in key styles from the collection. The standout pieces from the collection are a classic white tee printed with a famous illustration from the book ‘Babar the King’, with Babar and Celeste playing doubles and a special edition Fila Tennis 88 shoe, a crisp white sneaker decorated with the co-branded logos and a racquet wielding Babar on the midsole with matching sock liners.
“When I think about tennis, I think about FILA and the classic polos, shorts and warm-ups from the sport’s golden age” said Jack Carlson of the collection. “Designing and creating a collaboration that brings together these different worlds is a dream come true for Rowing Blazers. Rowing Blazers has always been about celebrating sport, nostalgia, culture and community.”
The Rowing Blazers x FILA x Baber collection is available now exclusively at rowingblazers.com
