COURTSIDE: DANIELA DEL PERCIO 

Daniela Del Percio, Executive Creative Director at FILA USA, has Italian origins, just like the brand she’s been working for a long time. The energy and the passion she espresses are a proof of it: on the occasion of a recent visit to Biella, we involved her in the following interview, in which she can’t help congratulate with the Foundation for her work.

Dear Daniela, welcome to our Blog! Let’s start from the beginning: what is your educational background and what led you to work for the brand?

DANIELA DEL PERCIO: I went to the School of Visual Arts in NYC where I received a Bachelor of Arts with a focus in Advertising and Graphic Design. I worked for FILA briefly when I finished school on a few projects. Eventually I went to work full time at a branding and advertising agency where I stayed many years. Fast forward to 2013 and I decided I wanted to go to work brand-side, where I could really focus and grow one brand – Ideally one in fitness, as I am passionate about athletics. Shortly after (almost too coincidentally) someone called me as asked if I was interested in FILA as they were looking for someone at my level. It was my destiny!

As a creative, what intrigues you the most about FILA heritage? Do you have a favorite athlete from the past?

DDP: Oh, so much, but if I have to pick just one thing it has to be Pierluigi Rolando stories are always my favorite. I only met him once but I have watched many of his videos. To understand him is to understand the heart FILA: elegance, design, creativity, beauty and boldness and his recipe for putting it all together always amazes me. I have a few favorite athletes including Adriano Panatta, Reinhold Messner and Karolína Plíšková. My favorite designs weere the blue ski uniforms worn by Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba.

You’ve recently been to Biella to visit us at the Foundation. What do you think about its activities and about its support to the brand?

DDP: Without the Archive and Foundation, we have no soul. Yes, it is that simple. Most important is the work the foundation does for the company is the amazing rate at which they digitize the history and put it on an internal platform for all FILA employees to access. This is critical to keep the brand aligned and moving forward while maintaining our DNA. It is a platform I personally utilize constantly. In fact, even today I was looking at all out old brand guidelines to inform a project that I am working on. I’m always impressed with the creativity they bring to educating and collecting relics to build to the archive. Not only does the FILA Foundation & Archive to provide invaluable insight to provide FILA’s employees, but it serves as an aspirational beacon to future generations of designers.

Is there something we didn’t ask and you’d love to speak about?

DDP: Certo: Fondazione FILA Museum is really the ‘heart and soul’ of FILA, giving back to the community near and afar. Some recent examples of this are the support they provided to the local community during the Covid-19 crisis and all the ongoing support they provide towards in children’s events centered around sports and education.