Borg vs McEnroe — Stefano Casarola

Last week I went to the cinema and saw the film “Borg McEnroe” of Janus Metz Pedersen. It focuses on the rivalry between the two tennis champions Borg and McEnroe. A rivalry then turned into a real friendship between two players not so different as it would appear. I love this sport and I really enjoyed the movie.

Inevitably my attention has also been captured by some elements directly linked to my job.
First I noticed that in the 80's the two champions were dressed with Italian brands: Fila and Diadora for Borg, Sergio Tacchini for McEnroe. These brands still exist today. They create quality products and have been able to maintain their market role despite the supremacy in the sportswear world of names such as Nike and Adidas. And they also wink at vintage style. Fila and Diadora in particular dedicate part of their collections to heritage (you can still buy Borg’s polo).

Then what about the headband? During Fall/Winter 2017-18 catwalks, Gucci models came out wearing headbands with a clear reference to the tennis world. So the long pleated skirts worn with maxi cardigan bring us to the female protagonists of the 30's tennis.

From my wardrobe: a bit of Borg and a bit of McEnroe.

Today Bjorn Borg has his own fashion brand selling underwear, sportswear, swimwear, shoes and bags. Last 31st of August he presented his limited "Signature Collection" at The Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. Following the ‘see now, buy now’ concept, all the pieces showed were available immediately after appearing on the runway and are still available on the website: bjonrborg.com. The Signature Collection is strongly linked to the tennis and style icon Björn Borg himself, with his long hair and headband, his short tennis shorts, and stylish tight track jacket. A “vintage” collection with retro details but modern fit.