Francine Candiotti is a visionary fashion designer and creative leader, known for redefining performance fashion through inclusive, culturally driven design. Her work unites people of all sizes, races, and identities, creating a space where sport, style, and storytelling converge.

At FILA, Francine was instrumental in the brand’s return to its roots, reactivating its 113-year heritage while modernizing tennis and performance apparel for a global audience. She helped reposition FILA at the intersection of Italian design, athletic performance, and contemporary culture. A defining moment in her career was traveling to Biella to meet Pierluigi Rolando, FILA’s original visionary creative director. Immersed in his bold, graphic, color-driven philosophy, Francine was entrusted with reimagining his designs for today’s consumer, carrying his legacy forward with modern innovation.

As a creative leader with deep expertise in global trends and visual storytelling, Francine has led the creative vision and strategy for FILA’s women’s and men’s categories. She collaborated with global ambassadors including Hailey Bieber, led landmark partnerships such as Fendi x FILA, and designed elite performance apparel worn by world-class athletes at Wimbledon, the French Open, the US Open, and the Olympic Games, including champions Marion Bartoli and Kim Clijsters. She also led the children’s tennis line, ensuring cohesion with Men’s and Women’s collections.

Francine spearheaded FILA’s One World, One FILA initiative, unifying the brand across regions while overseeing the full design lifecycle—from concept and narrative to product execution. Career highlights include FILA Fall/Winter 2020, presented as a full livestream during Milan Fashion Week. She partners closely with the VP to drive growth in the volume business, working with buyers on merchandising strategies, in-season opportunities, and risk management. She leads seasonal key looks and color stories, overseeing trends, fabric development, and cost-efficient reinterpretations of FILA’s DNA. Her strategic accounts include Macy’s Backstage, Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Burlington, Bloomingdale’s Outlet, and Ross, managing $110M in shipped wholesale volume.

Francine began her career as Design Director of Russell Athletic children’s wear, where she led creative strategy for over 10 years. She also had the privilege of collaborating with Shaquille O’Neal on a boys’ line, working closely with him to develop and promote the collection in Las Vegas.

Her work has been recognized globally: she was nominated for Best Activewear Designer at the 2013 WGSN Global Fashion Awards, and featured in Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, and T Magazine. In 2017, she launched FILA’s Plus-Size collection, championing body inclusivity, and founded Social Surge, the world’s first universally suitable clothing line rooted in ethical, sustainable design.

Her latest project, Casa FILA “Bellissimo,” honors the brand’s tennis heritage while reinterpreting it through a bold, modern lens. An expert in AI-driven design, Francine develops collections using 3D silhouettes and virtual garment creation, placing designs on digital models to visualize complete looks before production. Collaborating with WGSN and working in Gerber Yunique PLM, she bridges creativity, technology, and strategy to bring collections from concept to execution.