Sergio Tacchini
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sergio Tacchini (born May 30, 1938) is an Italian fashion designer of sportswear in Novara, Italy.
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[edit] Early career
Sergio Tacchini became a professional tennis player at age 17, by entering the Tennis Club of Milan in 1955. In 1960 he won the title of the Italian Champion over fellow countryman Nicola Pietrangeli. He was considered to be a talent on clay courts and also competed in the Davis Cup, counting five victories in singles and one in doubles in a total of fifteen games. He took another two Italian titles in doubles, with Pietrangeli as his partner in 1967 and 1968.
[edit] The firm
In 1966, Sergio Tacchini founded Sandys S.p.A. which was to be renamed after him a few years later. The initial idea was to experiment with colours and fabrics in order to create elegant and stylish tenniswear, at a time white dominated the players' clothes. However the project expanded to other sports such as ski, fitness, golf and sailing, but leisure wear as well. The mid-eighties saw Sergio Tacchini issue the "Dallas" tracksuit. Simple in design, it went on to become one of the decades most recognisable items of clothing. Today it is highly sought after, with second hand pieces exchanging hands for up to £100.
[edit] Sponsoring
Many great athletes have joined the Sergio Tacchini brand over the years. Most of them are well-known tennis players from the 1970s and 1980s such as Jimmy Connors, Vitas Gerulaitis, Ilie Nastase, Mats Wilander, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Sergi Bruguera, Pat Cash, Gabriela Sabatini, Pete Sampras, Martina Hingis and Goran Ivanišević famously when he won the Wimbledon title. The firm has also sponsored the 1983 Italian basketball team in the European Cup, the skiers Pirmin Zurbriggen and Marc Girardelli, Formula 1 drivers such as Ayrton Senna and Carlos Reutemann and the golfer Ian Woosnam. At present sponsored athletes include the skipper Karine Fauconnier and tennis players Tommy Robredo, Olivier Rochus, and Filippo Volandri. England cricketer Ian Bell also favours the Tacchini brand.
