FILA and the Christopher Wallace Estate release the FILA x Biggie Collection in honor of the legendary debut album, Ready to Die, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last September. The six-piece range includes a t-shirt and visor straight from FILA’s archives, as well as a new sneaker style, with each piece offered in two colorways. The FILA x Biggie Collection drops today, exclusively on www.FILA.com. Beginning on May 21, in commemoration of the late rapper’s birthday, the collection will expand to select retailers.
“We created this exclusive collection to honor a groundbreaking album, artist and pop culture icon who has left a lasting impact in the music world and beyond,” said Louis W. Colon III, VP of Heritage & Trend at FILA North America. “The era’s most iconic hip-hop stars embraced the FILA brand, with memorable looks. In 1993, Biggie took the stage in Philadelphia wearing the t-shirt and matching visor that are part of the collaborative collection today. We also worked alongside the Christopher Wallace Estate to design a footwear style that celebrates the Ready to Die Album and the legacy of one of the most influential rappers.”
The FILA x Biggie Collection was inspired by Biggie and 1990’s Brooklyn streetwear. The FILA x Biggie Graphic Tee ($25) and FILA x Biggie Visor ($25) launch in the white and aqua colorway, as worn by Biggie, as well as a new cream colorway. The t-shirt features a scribble design inside the enlarged FILA “F.”
The FILA Tennis 88 x Biggie ($90) silhouette debuts in the same two colorways and is an updated version to the Original Tennis silhouette that kicked off the brand’s popularity amongst Brooklynites. The cream colorway has a suede upper while the white and aqua colorway is introduced with a full grain smooth leather upper. The sneakers also feature a tongue with a dual-branded logo, a quarter F-box embroidered logo, custom direct embroidery of Ready to Die on the back counter, and flat cotton laces. The printed sock liner in the cream silhouette features the iconic baby photo from the album cover, while the white silhouette includes Ready to Die on the sock liner. The footwear is packaged in a custom shoebox, which is co-branded and decorated with elements of the original album art.
To further honor Biggie and this collection, FILA will donate a pair of children’s sneakers to the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, for every collaboration sneaker sold on FILA.com. The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation is committed to giving back to the community, with a focus on the field of early education. The shoes will be distributed in Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn, where Biggie was born and raised, in an effort to support local youth and offer new kicks to kids for summer play.
