In recent years, the "Biaoologists" who are dedicated to studying Van Debiao have been extremely active and have made fruitful academic achievements.

In this trend of "Biao Xue Revival", many people belatedly discovered that Fan Debiao was still a trendy figure in ancient times.

His common outfit in the drama is to put on a bright red Fila T-shirt, and then put on the Pelle Pelle leather jacket that is the favorite of the American East Coast rap boss, supplemented by a high-profile The flamboyant big gold chain and sunglasses are quite a rapper outfit.

The first episode of "Ma Dashuai" was launched in early 2004. This means that Van Der Biao owned this FILA T-shirt no later than 2003.

Many people relived this drama with hindsight, slapped their thighs, and exclaimed: Brother Biao put on Fila so early!

After all, in the perception of many young people, FILA has only become popular in the past few years.

In the Hupu forum, a group of straight men had a heated discussion on the question "If you don't understand, just ask, how did the brand FILA become popular?"

One of the messages from JRS is very representative - if it weren't for Gao Yuanyuan's endorsement, I really wouldn't know this brand.

The most upvoted answer seems to be a joke at first glance: I feel like it was my virtue that pierced the fire.

Regarding this question, I also asked myself. The answer is around 2000 - I was a fan of Yang Chen at that time and bought his posters, and the jersey sponsor of Frankfurt where he was was FILA.

My clear memory of the FILA trademark started from that poster. But at that time, I was poor and far away from the whirlpool of consumerism. I didn’t know what this brand was or how to pronounce it in Chinese. I even made a joke——

A girl came to play at home and noticed this brand. At that time, I made the mistake of knowing the king, pretending to understand it, and told her about science: Ah, this brand is from FIFA. Do you know the abbreviation of FIFA? FIFA!

In short, although many people have seen the brand FILA for a long time, they may just "meet each other but not recognize each other". Not to mention buying it and wearing it.

Looking at the "official history" of FILA in China, you will also see that it did not officially enter China until 2005. This makes Biao's outfit even more advanced.

However, some time ago, a friend from Northeast China who was born in 1985 sent me a photo of his primary school graduation.

I clicked on it and suddenly discovered that one of his classmates was wearing a FILA T-shirt. Although they are all twelve or thirteen-year-old flowers of the motherland, the huge letter F blooms particularly eye-catchingly.

The elementary school of this post-85s man is located in a county-level city in Changchun, and he graduated in 1999.

This means that as early as the end of the 20th century, FILA clothes had already appeared in northeastern county-level cities. In northeastern prefecture-level cities and provincial capital cities where commerce is more developed, FILA may have become quite popular.

In order to verify this conjecture, I dug around to find connections, and finally contacted a good man who was doing foreign trade clothing business in Changchun more than 20 years ago. I took out a Chinese flower and asked him Find out when FILA became popular in the Northeast.

As a result, my good brother told me: Ah, Fila, I know.

It’s a long time ago, this brand was started around 1998!

My good brother’s answer verified my guess: As early as the end of the last century and the beginning of this century, FILA was popular in the Northeast.

After confirming the conjecture, I launched a comprehensive and in-depth investigation and found out:

When we reviewed "Ma Dashuai", we lamented that Brother Biao's outfit was ahead of his time, because we both I don’t know about FILA’s past glory, nor do I know that the Northeast is actually very trendy.

Northeast China was once the most developed industrial region in Asia. The Italian brand FILA, which was born in 1911, also had its own golden age.

In the 1970s and 1980s, FILA became the leader in tennis apparel. There are many famous spokespersons under its brand, including many superstars. For example, 11-time Grand Slam winner Jorn Borg, Becker, the dominant player in the 1980s, 9-time Grand Slam winner Monica Seles, 4-time Grand Slam winner Clijsters, etc.

But what really made FILA famous was its decision to enter the basketball field in the 1990s and focus on developing the North American market.

Grant Hill was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the third overall pick in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft. That season coincided with Joe's first retirement. NBA Commissioner David Stern decided to create the next Jordan, and this person was Grant Hill.

At this time, FILA, which was aiming to conquer the North American market, was also very optimistic about Hill's potential and signed the rookie first.

Grant Hill, who became the spokesperson of FILA, performed well in his rookie season and was elected Rookie of the Year together with Jason Kidd***. In the selection of the All-Star Game, he even beat O'Neal and became the first rookie player in NBA history to receive the highest number of votes. In 1995, he again received the most votes, this time over superstar Michael Jordan. In 1996, Hill was selected for the American Dream Team and won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics.

Such a ferocious momentum also earned Hill the title of ruthless man, "the man closest to Jordan." In the NBA in the 1990s, this nickname could also be replaced with "the man closest to God."

But when it comes to the superstar that made FILA rise completely, there is another person who may be more important than Hill - — He is the legendary rap star 2Pac.

In February 1996, he released the first double CD album "All Eyez on Me" in the history of hip-hop. On the inside of the album, he is wearing a denim suit, sitting on the ground leaning against a luxury car casually and domineeringly. The soles of the Grant Hill 2 shoes under his feet are facing the camera, and the red and blue LOGO is particularly eye-catching.

However, 7 months later, an accident happened that fans still cannot let go of. On the night of September 7, 1996, after watching Tyson's boxing match with his then boss Suge Knight, 2Pac was shot four times on the road and died on September 13 at the age of 25.

"All Eyez on Me" thus became 2Pac's last album before his death, and its performance was particularly outstanding. Sales reached 560,000 copies in the first week, and it was awarded 5 times platinum in April 1996. Record certification. The singles "How Do U Want It" and "California Love" both topped the Billboard Hot 100.

Many years later, Hill recalled the famous photo of 2Pac in an interview and told the origin of this pair of Grant Hill 2——

At the end of 1995, he heard It is said that after 2Pac was released from prison and signed a contract with death row, he wanted to express his blessings, so he found a mutual friend and entrusted him to give 2Pac a pair of Grant Hill 2.

Hill did not expect that 2Pac not only wore this pair of shoes, but also wore them to shoot the album cover, and it became a classic photo with mixed feelings.

The story-filled Grant Hill 2 became one of the biggest driving forces for FILA's rapid development in the 1990s. Sales of this sneaker reached US$1.35 million in 1996, accounting for 10% of FILA's footwear sales. FILA also once became the world's third sports brand, ranking behind Nike and Reebok; in the field of basketball, it is second only to Nike.

The trend of globalization in the 1990s was vigorous. The superstar-studded NBA is broadcast live in hundreds of countries via satellite signals; the psychedelic and lazy West Coast rap also echoes in the bedrooms of young people around the world through tapes and CDs. Major sports brands that have successfully integrated basketball and hip-hop culture, including FILA, also opened their factories to East and Southeast Asia during the wave, and became popular in many Asian countries and regions.

It was in this trend that trendy Northeastern trendy men and women who loved being chic and romantic met the coquettish and beautiful FILA, and began a cross-century romance.

The Northeastern land at the turn of the century leaves us with mixed memories. In that turbulent wave of layoffs, just the word "survival" was enough to make countless families in the Northeast struggle.

However, the "steel piano" romance engraved in the bones of Northeastern people will not be completely extinguished by the pressure of survival.

Since ancient times, trendy young people in Northeast China have been very pursuing in dressing up and have formed a unique aesthetic system. Daily communication is filled with adjectives such as "spiritual", "upright", "upright", "energetic", "cowardly" and "sui (sui) like diapers", which are used to judge a person's image and outfit.

In the 1990s, there was a popular saying among young people in Northeast China, "You can break your head, but your hairstyle cannot be messy; you can bleed, but your leather shoes must be greased." This fully proves that they attach great importance to image.

What Uncle Benshan said to Wu Derong, "Where was your hair shape in the past? You have to straighten up!" The logic is that if a person wants to cheer up, he must first straighten his external image.

If you hold 10,000 yuan in your hand and want to prove that you are living a good life, the first way a Northeastern person thinks of is to buy a mink instead of doing financial management or investment.

Of course, not every Northeastern person’s ultimate dream of dressing up is mink, not to mention that wearing mink in summer is not suitable. In the 1990s, "sportswear" and "travel shoes" were also words often mentioned by Northeasterners when talking about outfits.

It was during this craze of leisure sports that FILA entered the vision of trendy men and women in Northeast China, and they fell in love at first sight.

As for the reason for falling in love, I personally boldly analyze it and think there are two reasons.

One is that FILA’s unique aesthetics and the aesthetic vision of Northeastern people are particularly “right”.

Compared with other sports brands, FILA’s colors are colorful and bright enough and will not be easily buried in the crowd. This is in line with the Northeastern people's pursuit of "energetic" and "spiritual" aesthetics.

In the 1990s, FILA T-shirts often had a large LOGO printed in the middle, which was high-profile and flamboyant. At first glance, it looked like a high-end foreign brand, which would make the boys and girls around them cast envious glances.

This feature is even more important. Because when the family is not well-off, the most taboo thing is to spend money to buy good clothes and brand goods, and wear them out without knowing anyone. In Northeastern dialect, it is called "Tubi".

Another point is that there are two men with a very big brother temperament, making FILA’s logo enough to become the spiritual totem of people in Northeastern society.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, the cable TV household penetration rate in Northeastern cities increased year by year, which meant that when you turned on the TV, you could watch the American NBA and European football leagues.

Therefore, even if the Northeastern youth did not notice what Hill was wearing when watching the NBA, it is difficult to ignore Serie A's "God of War" Batistuta.

At that time, Barty was at the peak of his career, killing gods when God blocked him, and killing Buddha when Buddha blocked him. The iconic volley is extremely powerful and has a violent aesthetic color. Coupled with his flowing blond hair, his unmoved by fame and fortune, and his loyalty to play Serie B with Fiorentina, he fits the definition of "big brother" among Northeastern youths.

As for Florence, where Batty is located, the jersey sponsor is FILA.

At that time, Serie A was full of superstars, and it was known as the "Little World Cup". Its overall strength overlooked La Liga, the Premier League, and the Bundesliga. In major sporting goods stores in the Northeast, Batty's FILA jersey is indispensable. Although it is likely to be pirated, it can still enhance the reputation of the FILA brand.

Let’s talk about another man.

Even though the Northeastern veterans at that time didn’t know 2Pac, the leader of the West Coast, everyone loved Hong Kong’s Jackie Chan.

Jackie Chan was able to establish himself in the Hong Kong film industry and successfully enter Hollywood because of his real kung fu and rarely using substitutes. He is a real man who is irresistible to Northeastern youth.

In video halls all over cities, they will see Jackie Chan wearing a clean and straight FILA shirt in "Lucky Star", and they will be in awe of the round and plump F on his chest. respect.

In terms of market circulation, it was not difficult for FILA to enter the Northeast at that time.

Speaking of this, we cannot fail to mention South Korea, which has frequent exchanges with Northeast China.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea in 1992, the scale of investment by Korean companies in the three northeastern provinces has increased rapidly. In 1993, direct investment by Korean companies in the three northeastern provinces accounted for more than 30% of the total investment in China. As of 2018, more than 4,500 Korean companies have settled in the three northeastern provinces.

In 1991, the development and international cooperation in the Tumen River area promoted by the United Nations Development Program prompted a large number of Koreans from Yanbian to go to South Korea to work. After South Korea implemented the "Industrial Training System for Foreigners" in 1993, China began to export labor services to South Korea, and Northeasterners of other ethnic groups also began to work in South Korea, stimulated by high wages. According to statistics from the South Korean Ministry of Justice, in 2002, there were more than 220,000 Chinese people staying in South Korea for long and short periods of time, with the majority of them from the Northeast.

This large-scale two-way population flow, coupled with the large number of Koreans engaged in beauty and hairdressing in South Korea, will naturally introduce Korean fashion trends into the Northeast, including fashionable clothing, one of which is FILA.

From FILA's official information, we can see that since its establishment in 1991, FILA Korea's average annual sales have increased by more than 30%, steadily growing into the cornerstone of the group.

A 1999 Yonhap News Agency report mentioned that at that time, FILA's sales in South Korea ranked third in the world, second only to the United States and Europe.

Even though FILA had not officially entered the Chinese market in the 1990s, you can still buy FILA clothes and sneakers in the clothing market in Northeast China.

According to my dear brother’s account, at that time, there were three main sources of foreign trade clothing in the Northeast: Guangdong, Jimo, Shandong, and Dalian, Liaoning. Many garment factories in Jimo and Dalian began to receive orders from South Korea in the 1990s, and part of the surplus goods flowed into the Northeast garment market.

As for fakes, they have a deeper foundation and many sources. For example, in "Ben Ming Nian" released in 1990, we can see fake Nike shoes. This shot can be said to be a drop in the ocean, a condensed version of the times. In contrast, the production threshold for counterfeit designer clothes is even lower. Don’t be afraid of not being able to buy it, just be afraid of not being able to think of it.

In short, the love between FILA and the old Northeastern veterans who met in the spring breeze and prepared to cross the century, both in spiritual and material levels, has been in place since the mid-to-late 1990s. A pretty solid foundation.

From this point of view, Fan Debiao’s wearing of the FILA T-shirt was not a move ahead of his time, but just restored the trendy outfits worn by people in Northeastern society at that time.

The trend of commodity society is changing too fast. The most difficult thing is to stay on the trend.

In 2003, FILA's global sales dropped to almost half of their peak in 1997. Although Fan Debiao, a famous ruthless man in northern Liaoning, personally brought the goods, he could not save FILA's decline.

In China, FILA is also struggling. In 2007, Belle Group established Full Prospect to purchase FILA's China business. However, this did not change FILA's downward trajectory. In 2007 and 2008, the FILA brand's Chinese business suffered losses of 10.96 million and 39.18 million respectively.

This long trough period also caused FILA to disappear from the vision of many young people and become a niche brand.

It was not until 2009 that FILA ushered in a turning point in China. In August of this year, Anta spent a huge sum of money to take over this "money-losing product" from Belle International.

Thanks to Anta’s painstaking management, FILA China has performed amazingly since its acquisition, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 50. In 2020, the revenue reached 17.45 billion, surpassing the 15.75 billion of Anta brand, becoming Anta's most profitable brand.

During this period, Northeast veterans still played an indispensable role. Become the main force behind FILA’s popularity across the country.

Their love for FILA can be said to be unwavering, and FILA continues to satisfy their spiritual needs with its aesthetic attributes that are beautiful, colorful and eye-catching.

In Northeast China, FILA stores are located in provincial capital cities, prefecture-level cities and even county-level cities.

As for sales performance, although no specific data has been found, in the public account of "FILA Clothing Co., Ltd.", you can see this description:

Speaking of (FILA ) Northeast District, it is a magical existence, with business first, performance first, and operation first.

Open Kuaishou and Douyin and search for Fila or FILA. The accounts with the most fans are also from the Northeast.

However, now that FILA has been revived, Northeastern veterans are still waiting for their own revival. This renaissance is not only economic but also cultural.

In terms of Northeast cultural export, after the 1990s, the local culture represented by Uncle Benshan was too strong, while the urban culture was weak. Perennial stereotypes have made many people, even Northeasterners themselves, forget that the Northeast also experienced a tide.

The past events between FILA and the Northeast are just a microcosm of the history of Northeast trends.

Here, I wish the Northeastern people can once again set off a fashion trend that can stand the test of time, just like Dong Baoshi sang in "Social Old Uncle Shake", let the whole world know:

From Changchun to Harbin at night, there are big stars everywhere.