Photographed in the moon-like town of Gibellina in Sicily, the anticipated collaboration is inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur
Two streetwear powerhouses, Fila and Aries, have joined forces on what is set to be one of this season’s most exciting collaborations. Titled Black Sail, the collection takes inspiration from the Greek myth Theseus and the Minotaur, and arrives in the wake of Fila’s wildly successful collection with the offbeat Parisian label, Y/Project.
For those unfamiliar with the tale, Theseus is an Athenian king of Greek mythology who was famed for slaying villains and terrifying monsters. In his most storied adventure, Theseus kills the labyrinth-dwelling minotaur – a creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull – of King Minos of Crete, who every year Athens had to sacrifice seven young men and seven young women to feed. On his triumphant return, Theseus forgets to fly a white sail on the ship instead of the customary black sail – as he promised his father he would as a sign of his victory – and, mistakenly bereft after seeing the ship approaching the shore, Thesues’ father throws himself from the cliffs into the sea below.
The name of Fila and Aries’ collection is borrowed from the sombre black sails in the story, and several other nods to the myth are peppered throughout the release and accompanying visuals – which were shot in the Sicilian town of Gibellina, against the eerie backdrop of artist Alberto Burri’s vast stone monument, by legendary fashion photographer David Sims.
“The town was completely destroyed in an earthquake in 1968,” says Aries’ creative director Sofia Prantera of Gibellina. “In the late 80s, the mayor of New Gibellina commissioned the Italian artist Alberto Burri to create a monument for the old town. The labyrinth of Cnosso, where the minotaur lived, was also destroyed by an earthquake – the same one which was responsible for the disappearance of the mythical [city of] Atlantis.”
Sims’ dramatic, sun-scorched visuals bring to life the mythical theme of the collection, which marries the distinctive codes of each brand. Crafted almost entirely in black, like Theseus’ sails, the offering brings together hints of sailing attire – a wink to the jacket Fila famously created for Giovanni Soldini in 1996 – with Aries’ hallmark themes of classicism, which Prantera says is “a constant influence on Aries’ visual output.”
Shop Aries x Fila via ariesarise.com.
