Fila has entered into a regional distribution agreement with RMP Athletic Locker Ltd. to selectively distribute the brand in Canada, beginning December 1, 2005. RMP’s Russ English trailed Fila for three years in a bid to add upscale performance to the company portfolio. Known for its ownership of the Ripzone brand, and partnerships with Umbro, Airwalk, and Teva, RMP is a Canadian-owned company on an Italian-driven mission.

“When Fila reaffirmed its position as a luxury performance brand in 2003, we saw a rare opportunity to compliment our current collection of brands,” said English, currently the president of the Advanced Sports, Inc. division. “We knew that the addition of a premium athletic brand like Fila to our distribution mix would make a convincing statement to the Canadian retail marketplace.”

Fila will maintain eight name-branded retail locations, flanking both the east and west coasts of Canada in addition to the Ontario province. Retail strategies and merchandising will be under the direction of Sheryl Bloom, Managing Director of Retail. Bloom currently oversees retail management of the newly unveiled marquis store in Midtown Manhattan. RMP will target the metropolitan hot spots of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in its distribution of the brand. “Our expansion in Canada is critical to our long-term retail strategies,” said Bloom. “We’ll utilize the spaces under the Fila brand to give a broad, uncluttered view of all of the collections going forward. That appeal should help drive demand in specialty retail with RMP championing our cause.”

While Fila brings added relevance and Italian sports luxury to the mix, RMP brings a winning platform for future brand growth. The intent is to leverage RMP’s successful track record to increase Fila’s presence at athletic specialty and better department stores in Canada. “RMP has helped place numerous successes over the years by being intensely discerning,” said Paul Clark, Managing Director of North America. “We bring a unique story line and heritage to the market and RMP brings 28 years of legitimacy and relationship building with key retailers. It’s a company that has focused on doing two things very well-keeping its finger on the pulse of the Canadian market and fine tuning that savvy to build business in athletic niche categories. We look forward to rounding out their offering with a sophisticated core of collections.”

RMP’s long-term distribution agreement with Fila will be tightly focused on the signatures of the performance-inspired repertoire. The Vintage line will play to the nostalgic opulence that has taken international markets by storm over the past five years, including an extensive array of believable archives and the reinterpretation of classic silhouettes. According to English, heritage lines like tennis and running will also be natural draws for major accounts. Benessere, Fila’s holistic product take on health and wellness, has already seen traction in the United States at top retailers like Nordstrom. RMP is looking to take that storyline to the discriminating Canadian consumer even as it builds an internal sales force to support the brand.

“There’s a purity to Fila that resonates with people who pursue sport as a means to personal fulfillment,” said English. “The encore of the brand has a certain spirit that mirrors the individuality of the consumer. In effect, this brand makes the statement that ‘we will do our own thing, in our own time, in our own space.’ We believe that attitude will translate to significant shelf space and sell-through in Canada.”