All clothing, shoes and accessories produced by the Lacoste brand are of the highest quality. Since the release of the first collection, the company has gained a good reputation among consumers, so now the company’s management considers it unacceptable to deviate from the set course. In this regard, the company even created a department dedicated to quality control.
In addition, all Lacoste bags, hats, belts, clothing, watches and shoes are tested for ease of use. All these things are distinguished by simplicity and elegance of style. And when developing new models, designers try to take into account the latest fashion trends.
Also, most things from the company are quite affordable. They are very popular with both progressive youth and representatives of older generations.
Brand Features
According to some fashion critics, Lacoste is a style first and a fashion brand second. Initially, the brand produced clothing for athletes, so the authenticity of its sports roots is still preserved.
Currently, Lacoste clothing is a symbol of casual elegance and lightness. When creating clothes, designers use plain fabric in bright, rich colors. The main preference is given to a simple cut and clear lines. The brand presents its collections as part of Fashion Week in New York.
In addition, most Lacoste clothing, shoes and accessories are complemented by the brand’s emblem – a crocodile with an open mouth embroidered on the front side. This pattern symbolizes a stranglehold.
One of the most popular items in the brand's collections is a three-button polo shirt with elbow-length sleeves and a turn-down collar. It is made of lightweight cotton fabric with a combined weave. This material perfectly absorbs moisture, dries quickly, does not fade or deform. This model is available in both women's and men's versions, and is available in various colors. One popular shade is “tennis white”.
In recent years, the Lacoste team has often invited contemporary artists and designers to collaborate on capsule collections. The most interesting models were designed by the Chinese artist Le Xiaofeng, who handcrafted
Lacoste (Lacoste) - French, specializing in the production of men's, women's, children's clothing, shoes, sports equipment, and perfumes. Founded in 1933 by the famous tennis player Jean Rene Lacoste. As of 2015, the Lacoste brand belongs to the Swiss corporation Maus Frères, and the creative director of the brand is Felipe Oliveira Baptista.
The brand is represented on all five continents in more than 100 countries. Lacoste collections are shown on.
Brand lines
Lacoste– the main line of clothing and accessories for men and women in and -styles.
Lacoste Kids– a line of clothing and accessories for children.
Lacoste Lab– a line of sports equipment, including city bicycles, boomerangs, skis, football and rugby balls, motorcycle helmets, surfboards, golf clubs, as well as related clothing and accessories.
Lacoste L!ve- a youth line of men's and women's clothing, known for the fact that each season the designs of products are developed by modern street artists.
Lacoste Jewelry– a line of jewelry for women.
Lacoste Watches- line of men's and women's.
In 1933, Rene Lacoste, together with André Gillier, owner and president of a manufacturing factory specializing in the production of knitted fabrics, founded the La Societe Chemise Lacoste brand. The name was subsequently shortened to Lacoste. For the first time in the history of fashion, the brand's emblem - the crocodile - was placed not on the inside, but on the front side of the clothing.
History of the emblem
In 1923, Rene Lacoste was walking with team captain Allan Dean Moore through the streets of Boston. In one of the windows of fashionable stores, the tennis player saw a crocodile skin bag and asked for it as a gift if he won the upcoming match. He was defeated, and the Boston Evening Transcript published an article with the text: “Young Lacoste never received the coveted bag, but he fought as well as a crocodile.” Soon, René's friend Robert George drew a small crocodile with its tail raised, symbolizing the stranglehold René Lacoste showed on the courts. The tennis player asked to embroider this image on his.
Brand development
Since its founding, the goal of the Lacoste brand has been to create comfortable clothing for professional sports. In 1933, the first catalog of shirts “L.12.12.” was released, where L denoted the name of the brand, 1 - pique cotton from which it was made, 2 - short sleeve, 12 - the model number of a shirt with short sleeves and a turn-down collar.
In 1951, the brand began producing colored ones. Until this point, the traditional color for the court was white, which was called “tennis white.” That same year, the 34th President of the United States, Dwight Eisenhower, was seen playing golf wearing a Lacoste T-shirt.
In 1952, the brand began exporting its products to the United States, where they were sold under the slogan “Lacoste is a status symbol of a competent athlete.”
In 1963, management of Lacoste passed to Rene's eldest son, Bernard Lacoste.
In the 1970s Lacoste began producing tennis and casual shoes, accessories and watches.
In the 1980s The Lacoste brand has reached the peak of popularity. There were queues in stores to buy a T-shirt, shirt or jumper from the brand. This was largely due to an interest in style.
In 1984, a perfume line was launched. The first fragrance was Lacoste Pour Homme for men.
In 1996, the first Lacoste brand was opened in Moscow. On October 12 of the same year, at the age of 92, the founder of the brand, Rene Lacoste, passed away.
In 1999, Lacoste launched its first women's fragrance, Lacoste for Women.
“I am very proud to have updated Lacoste's image and moved it towards a younger and more fashionable audience. And I am deeply convinced that Lacoste occupies a unique position in the world of fashion."
Portuguese Felipe Oliveira Baptista was appointed the new creative director of the brand.
In 2010, the Lacoste Jewelry line was launched. It consisted of five directions. Women Club included pendants in both plastic and shiplap. The Plein Été series featured bracelets and necklaces in a sporty style. The New Wave trend, consisting of pendants and bracelets, was inspired by a nautical theme. The Color Block series included keychains and chains in bright colors. The Everyday Essentials collection contained numerous accessories such as pendants, medallions, earrings, etc., made of gold, silver, plastic, wood, stainless steel, titanium coated and hypoallergenic components.
“We realized that there was a need for us to revive the tradition of innovation that is an integral part of the DNA of the Lacoste brand.”
Christophe Pillet, Design Director of Lacoste SA
In 2012, a limited edition men's fragrance Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Blanc was released for the Summer Olympics in London. The bottle was packed in a box decorated with branded crocodiles, each of which had the color of the flag of one of the participating countries.
In 2012, the Swiss corporation Maus Frères became the owner of 93.3% of Lacoste shares.
“We had an ambitious project and a strong desire to maintain family control of the company. We preferred to assess the situation from a long-term perspective. We are committed to ensuring the sustainability of Lacoste's business and believe that the sale to Maus Freres, our long-term partner, is the best option."
Sophie Lacoste, granddaughter of René Lacoste
In 2015, Felipe Oliveira Baptista presented the Lacoste fall-winter 2015/2016 collection at New York Fashion Week. This work was dedicated to the founder Rene Lacoste. The collection includes items of relaxed styles in the sport-casual style. For girls, Felipe offered sports sets combined with straight-cut coats, knitted skirts complemented by cotton shirts or pullovers, pleated skirts with long sleeves. Male models demonstrated trench coats, sport outfits, polo T-shirts, classic jackets and trousers, and sweatshirts with 3-D prints on the catwalk.
In the spring of 2015, Lacoste released a capsule collection of jumpers, T-shirts, sweatshirts and polos featuring the legendary tennis players of the 1970s.
80th anniversary of Lacoste
In honor of the anniversary, the brand launched a limited edition of 12 Limited Edition Custom Polo Kits. Every month during the year, Lacoste releases one new model of T-shirts with the outlines of the future design. Each polo comes with a brush and a can of paint, aerosols and foil. Thus, fans of the brand had the opportunity to create their own T-shirt design. The price of the set was 400 euros.
In 2013, in honor of the 80th anniversary, 9 French brands created one item for Lacoste, playing on the brand symbol - the image of a crocodile. Hermès created an exclusive tennis bag, made of green crocodile leather. The accessory was complemented by a special pocket for a racket. The jewelry house Boucheron presented two exclusive brooches in the shape of a crocodile.
Fauchon confectioners congratulated Lacoste with their own symbol - the eclair. The sweets were coated with a glaze that imitated the piqué texture of the brand's polo shirts. S.T. Dupont created a box that contained a lighter, candles, a notebook and two pens. All items from S.T. Dupont were made in white and green tones.
Christofle has released a golf club made entirely of silver. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin donated the famous bottle of champagne to the brand, which was placed in a special cart for transporting clubs.
Lacoste was also congratulated by French brands Goyard, Boucheron and Bernardaud.
Collaborations
- Leslie Mann
In 2009, Lacoste, in collaboration with actress Leslie Mann, released the limited-edition Lacoste Pink Croc Collection for women and men, consisting of pink items. It included polo shirts, beach bags, shoes, towels, sports watches, belts and sunglasses. Proceeds from sales of the collection were donated to cancer charities.
- Fred Segal
In 2009, Lacoste, in collaboration with the American brand Fred Segal, created a men's capsule collection of polo shirts, cashmere sweaters, and vests. They were made in red, grey, black, white and their combinations.
- Campanas
In 2009, the Campanas + Lacoste Limited Edition collaboration took place. Design duo Fernando and Humberto Campana have developed a collection of polo shirts for men and women. The print for each of them was about 100 images of the Lacoste symbol.
In 2012, Lacoste announced a second collaboration with Campanas for the Holiday Collector's project. In the women's collection, the crocodile logo badges were arranged in a spiral, forming a figure eight. In the male version, the emblems formed a circle.
- Li Xiafoen
In 2010, Lacoste collaborated with Chinese artist Li Xiaofeng for its Holiday Collector’s project. He handcrafted porcelain polo shirts. The work took 3 months, 317 fragments were used for one men's item, 206 for women. The item of clothing was presented in blue and white in two versions: the 1st one featured an orchid, bamboo, plum, phoenix bird and crocodile - the corporate logo of the Lacoste brand, on the 2nd - images of a child and a lotus. The limited collection was released in a series of 2000 copies.
- 10 Corso Como
In 2010, the collaboration 10 Corso Como X Lacoste took place. The women's collection includes polo shirts, shorts, and bags in black and white. The image chosen was a green crocodile holding a bouquet of yellow flowers in its teeth.
- Atmos
In 2010, another collaboration between Lacoste and Atmos took place. As a result of the collaboration, women's sneakers with thick soles were created with a lace running along the back and ending at the instep. The model was presented in yellow, blue and pink versions.
- Catherine Malandrino
In 2011, Catherine Malandrino created a women's capsule collection for Lacoste. According to her, it was made “in a romantic style and inspired by the brand’s sporting heritage.”
- Mika Lidberg
In 2012, illustrator Micah Lidberg designed men's and women's clothing, shoes and accessories for Lacoste L!VE. The collection featured polos, shirts, raincoats, totes and sneakers with bright animal prints.
“Lacoste is a brand that I have loved for a long time. My personal style is predominantly focused on classics and simple details combined with elements of something fantastic and energetic. I wanted my collection to reflect the energy and optimism that comes from everything that is happening around me. I used a lot of bright colors and dynamics, the prints are full of absurd creatures and implausible stories. It contains some of the things I loved as a child: dinosaurs, flying saucers, jungles, unicorns; and much of what I like now.”
Mika Lidberg
- Le Berlinois
In 2013, Lacoste L!VE, together with Le Berlinois, presented a limited collection of fifty black polo shirts for men. The brand used a black rather than a green crocodile as its logo. Lacoste L!VE and Le Berlinois already collaborated in 2011.
- Osamu Tezuka
In 2013, the Lacoste L!VE x Osamu Tezuka collaboration took place. The collection featured men's polo-shirts and sneakers with a comic-style print. Polos were created in white, green, orange, red, blue and grey.
- Foot Locker
For several years, Lacoste created joint shoe collections with Foot Locker. Since 2010, exclusive men's sneakers “Platinum” with a platinum crocodile emblem have been produced in limited editions.
- Peter Saville
In 2013, British designer and illustrator Peter Saville created a limited-edition collection of polo T-shirts for Lacoste. Taking the classic white color as a basis, Peter decided to experiment with the famous brand logo. He created 80 different wavy, crossed out, etc. interpretations of the symbol.
“I had only one instruction from Lacoste: do what you want, just don’t touch the logo. And I thought: why not? After all, this can be very interesting. And I decided to put the logo itself through several filters, some turned out to be aggressive, some were geometric, and some were funny and cute. The first reaction was: “What did he do?” But soon everyone smiled and liked it. The entire collection is unique - there are 80 logos and 80 polos for them. This is an experiment for such a company - they have never done this before. The main thing for me was the freedom of my choice. If you can’t do exactly what you like, then why do it at all.”
Peter Saville
- J.Crew
In 2015, Lacoste teamed up with the American brand J.Crew. The collaboration resulted in the creation of a collection of polo shirts for men, women and children featuring the blue crocodile. This version of the Lacoste logo existed in 1983. The Lacoste x J. Crew collection was created in 4 colors: orange, white, navy blue and burgundy.
Official site: www.lacoste.com
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Interesting information about the Lacoste brand. Reference information about the Lacoste brand.
A small and green crocodile - is there another emblem in the world that can compare with this one in terms of recognition?! Even the smallest fashionistas know that this alligator, emblazoned on stylish polo shirts, dresses, jackets, sneakers and other fashionable clothes, was drawn especially for Rene Lacoste in 1927 by his best friend. Yes, yes, that's him - the crocodile Lacoste.
"What's on him?" - you ask. As you can guess from the brand name, it is Rene Lacoste, then still a professional tennis player, in 1933, having left the big sport, he became, together with Andre Gillier, the owner of a knitwear company, the founder of a new company for the production of innovative clothing.
Do you think an athlete and a company president are incompatible things? But no, as you can see, everything is exactly the opposite. This is because it was professional sports that gave Rene Lacoste the idea of what comfortable and stylish clothing is. Even then, he sewed T-shirts for himself, radically different from everything that tennis players wore in those years. And, most importantly, these T-shirts were made of thin tricot fabric, allowing you to feel extremely comfortable in hot weather.
In general, this is how, easily and naturally, with all the knowledge of the matter, the company La Societe Chemise Lacoste appeared in 1933, where T-shirts were sewn for tennis, golf and sailing. And everyone’s favorite embroidered crocodiles were adorned on the chest.
Time fled and "Lacoste" did not stand still. They first began producing a large line of shirts in a variety of colors (previously they had only produced white ones), and in 1955, under the motto “Lacoste - the status symbol of a competent athlete,” they began exporting their products to the United States.
The unprecedented flourishing of the brand is associated with the son of the company’s founder, Bernard, under whom Lacoste clothing surpassed itself, becoming not only the favorite clothing of professional athletes, but also of all stylish men, for whose wardrobe the company no longer produced only T-shirts, but also canvas and tennis shoes, shorts, some leather items, and some accessories - sunglasses and watches - and watches.
Today, the Lacoste clothing line and its sales are growing rapidly, as is the number of loyal fans of this brand around the world. The secret is simple: Lacoste does not stand still, it develops with the times, creating the most modern and stylish clothes of the highest quality and design. Not only clothing, shoes and accessories for both men and women, but also high-quality perfumes are widely recognized and loved.
By the way, the company gives the joy of owning trendy clothes not only to adults, but also to children. For little fashionistas, all kinds of T-shirts, shorts, dresses, tops and shoes are produced in magnificent colors and designs.
The company is now led by Michael Lacoste, who is excellently continuing the work of his older brother. In 2007, the official website of the brand was opened, and contracts to represent the company were concluded with world athletes and stars.
It’s a pity that residents of the Russian Federation will not be able to order Lacoste clothes from the official website - unlike residents of other countries of the world - but stores where you can buy them come to the rescue. By the way, if we talk about sales of the brand in Russia, then be vigilant, don’t lose your head - things in stores cost exorbitant amounts of money, much more than you can buy clothes and accessories for in other countries.
Lacoste (pronounced Lacoste in Russian) is a French company founded in 1933 that produces clothing, shoes, perfumes, optical and sunglasses, tennis shoes, watches and various leather goods. The symbol and logo of the company is the image of a green crocodile.
Rene Lacoste was a famous French tennis player who achieved fame in two fields: tennis and fashion. In 1926, while competing in the US Open, Rene Lacoste wore a hand-made white short-sleeved shirt made entirely of lightweight knit fabric, which was very comfortable to play in in extreme heat. This was the world's first special clothing for sports. This shirt was strikingly different from the tennis clothing of that time; traditional “city” shirts with long sleeves were in fashion.
In 1927, during the Davis Cup, the American press nicknamed Lacoste “the alligator” because of a dispute over a suitcase made of crocodile skin (the captain of the French tennis team had to splurge on a crocodile suitcase: he promised it to the young athlete Rene Lacoste for winning the Davis Cup) . At home, in France, Lacoste’s nickname was changed to “crocodile” and stuck with him due to his persistent and tenacious behavior on the court, where Lacoste never forgave the mistakes of his opponents. Robert George, a friend of Lacoste, drew a crocodile for him, which was later embroidered on the blazer the athlete wore.
In 1933, after Rene Lacoste retired from professional sports, he founded, together with André Gillier, the owner and president of the largest French knitting company of that time, the company “La Societe Chemise Lacoste” to produce revolutionary shirts, which he designed and wore at tennis courts. Lacoste courts. On the chest there was an embroidered emblem of the athlete - a crocodile. In addition to tennis shirts, the company also produced golf and sailing shirts.
In 1951, the company moved away from its traditional, all-white shirts and introduced an incredibly successful line of colored shirts.
In 1952, Lacoste began exporting its products to the United States under the slogan "Lacoste is the status symbol of a competent athlete."
In 1963, management of the company passed into the hands of Bernard Lacoste, son of Rene. Under his leadership, Lacoste reached a new level of development, reaching sales of 300,000 items annually. The company achieved real popularity in the 70s of the last century, when, in addition to the world famous shirts, Lacoste also began producing lines of T-shirts, perfumes, optical and sunglasses, tennis boots, fashionable casual shoes, watches and various leather goods.
In the 1970s Lacoste began producing tennis and casual shoes, accessories and watches.
The first fragrance under the Lacoste brand was born in 1984.
In 1996, the first Lacoste brand boutique was opened in Moscow.
In 1999, Lacoste launched its first women's fragrance, Lacoste for Women.
In 2001, Christophe Lemaire received the position of artistic director of Lacoste. With his arrival, the brand became in demand among the youth audience. In each season, the designer experimented with styles and colors. He made Lacoste a symbol of an entire lifestyle.
In 2005, due to illness, Bernard Lacoste handed over the company to his younger brother Michel Lacoste, who worked for the company for 40 years.
In the 2000s. the company sponsored tennis tournaments, golf competitions, supported athletes such as Andy Roddick, Richard Gasquet, José_Maria_Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie, John Isner, Stanislas Wawrinka and others. The appearance of world-famous tennis players wearing clothes from Lacoste contributed to the popularity of the brand.
On March 21, 2006, Bernard Lacoste died in Paris. In the same year, the Fondation René Lacoste charitable foundation was founded.
In 2008, the brand celebrated its 75th anniversary. Philippe Lacoste, the grandson of Rene Lacoste, noted in his anniversary speech that he was proud of the enormous work of all the people who turned the signature crocodile into a world celebrity.
In 2010, Christophe Lemaire announced his departure from Lacoste for the position of art director of the Hermès Fashion House.
Portuguese designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista was appointed the new creative director of the brand.
In 2010, the Lacoste Jewelry line was launched. It consisted of five directions. Women Club included pendants and bracelets made of plastic and shiplap. The Plein Été series featured bracelets and necklaces in a sporty style. The New Wave trend, consisting of pendants and bracelets, was inspired by a nautical theme. The Color Block series included keychains and chains in bright colors. The Everyday Essentials collection contained numerous accessories such as pendants, medallions, earrings, etc., made of gold, silver, plastic, wood, stainless steel, titanium coated and hypoallergenic components.
In 2011, Lacoste released a capsule collection of casual bags, the main design theme of which was the crocodile. The accessories were created in honor of Robert George, who designed the logo for the brand. In 2011, the company's annual income amounted to 1.6 billion euros.
In 2011, Lacoste launched the youth clothing line L!VE. In accordance with the concept of the new direction, each season a capsule collection will be created by an artist or designer. The first invited designer was the French artist Onet.
In 2012, the Lacoste Lab line was launched. The company's management reported that the division will produce sports equipment developed jointly with leading specialists in the relevant fields. The line featured boomerangs, skis, city bikes, football and rugby balls, rackets and tennis balls, motorcycle helmets, surfboards, golf clubs, polo shirts, shorts, sports bags and gloves.
Until the fall of 2012, control of the company belonged to the Lacoste family (in particular, Michel Lacoste owned 30.3% of the brand, his daughter Sophie Lacoste Durnel and a number of other persons - a total of 28%. 35% was owned by the Swiss retail company Maus Frères. In October -November 2012 it was announced that Michel and Sophie Lacoste had agreed with Maus Frères to sell their last shares.
In 2015, Felipe Oliveira Baptista presented the Lacoste fall-winter 2015/2016 collection at New York Fashion Week. This work was dedicated to the founder Rene Lacoste. The collection includes items of relaxed styles in the sport-casual style. For girls, Felipe offered sports sets combined with straight-cut coats, knitted skirts complemented by cotton shirts or pullovers, pleated skirts with long sleeves. Male models demonstrated trench coats, sport outfits, polo T-shirts, classic jackets and trousers, and sweatshirts with 3-D prints on the catwalk.
In the spring of 2015, Lacoste released a capsule collection of jumpers, T-shirts, sweatshirts and polos featuring the legendary tennis players of the 1970s.
Interesting Facts
In 1926, while participating in the US Open, Rene Lacoste wore a shirt from his company. It was the world's first sportswear. In 1927, during the Davis Cup, the American press nicknamed Lacoste "the alligator" due to a dispute over a crocodile skin suitcase. The captain of the French tennis team promised a crocodile suitcase to Rene Lacoste if he won the Davis Cup. In France, Lacoste's nickname was changed to "crocodile" and stuck with him due to his persistent and tenacious behavior on the court, where Lacoste never forgave the mistakes of his opponents. Robert George, a friend of Lacoste, drew a crocodile for him, which was later embroidered on the blazer the athlete wore.
The history of the Lacoste brand began in 1933. The French company produces fashionable clothing for men, women, and children. The brand also specializes in the production of high-quality shoes, sports equipment, and perfumes. The founder of the company, Jean Rene Lacoste, is a famous tennis player. Today the brand has passed into the hands of a Swiss corporation.
The campaign is known and respected all over the world. At New York Fashion Week, she takes a worthy place among other famous participants.
Brand lines
Everything that the company produces is divided into niches:
- Lacoste is the main line. It includes men's and women's clothing and accessories. These are sporty and casual outfits.
- Lacoste Kids - clothes for babies.
- Lacoste Lab - sports equipment.
- Lacoste L!ve is an extraordinary line of youth fashion for free spirits. It is famous for the fact that every season free street artists work on a product in this niche.
- Lacoste Jewelry - status jewelry.
- Lacoste Watches are watches for men and women that are recognizable all over the world.
- Lacoste Eyewear - glasses for both men and women. There are optical and sun protection series.
Who is Lacoste?
Getting to know the brand should start with a story about its founder. Lacoste Rene was born into the family of an ordinary poor Parisian industrialist. At the age of 13, his father, Jean Lacoste, sent him to study in the UK. The parent could not even imagine that at the age of 22 years (1926) his son would become
The story of the famous crocodile
The brand logo appeared before the idea of clothing production itself was born. Thanks to one American journalist, whose name is unknown, the whole world knows the story of the legendary alligator.
So, where did the history of the Lacoste brand begin? This happened in 1927. Shortly before the Davis Cup tournament, which was very important for the French team, Rene and his captain were walking around the city. They wandered into one of the elite leather accessories stores. There, Rene Lacoste liked a suitcase made of crocodile skin, which cost quite an impressive amount. The athlete jokingly said that if he wins the tournament, the captain will have to buy him an expensive accessory.
Unfortunately, Rene lost, but the next day all the newspapers wrote that he fought like an alligator. It was very difficult to win against him. Robert George, Rene's best friend, gave him a drawing that depicted a green crocodile with its tail raised up. Lacoste took this drawing to the workshop with a request to embroider the same alligator on his jacket. Since then, the tennis player has been treated as an athlete with a crocodile grip.
Legendary T-shirt
The history of the Lacoste brand began simply. Rene, already a fairly famous athlete at that time, ordered a T-shirt from a tailor, which he was supposed to wear at the American Championship. He was fed up with colds due to standing in the wind in wet clothes after intense work on the court.
The Lacoste T-shirt was made from a specially commissioned breathable cotton fabric with a combination of threads. The matter was called "pique". The polo had three buttons, a turn-down collar and elbow-length sleeves.
It is worth noting that at that time tennis was still played “in parade.” The athletes wore dress pants and shirts, which was very uncomfortable, but since the sport was considered aristocratic, the players had to have a decent appearance. Rene himself was very pleased with his find. People around her very soon drew attention to her and began to copy the tennis player’s uniform. The athlete did not like this, and the idea came to mind to launch his own production.
Brand founding
In 1933, the career of the legendary tennis player ended, and he decided to go into business. Together with the manager of a knitting factory, Andre Gillier, he launches a collection of polo T-shirts. The brand is named after the tennis player - Lacoste.
Fashion trendsetter Coco Chanel also appeared in the history of Lacoste. It was precisely because she introduced a sporty style into fashion that Renee’s idea worked. The first collection from the brand consisted of the previously known white T-shirts and with a green alligator. Since at that time it was fashionable in the fashion industry to number their products, the model was called “1212”.
In the history of the Lacoste brand there is information that the first reaction to the new product was ambiguous. The public felt that T-shirts from this brand were too tight-fitting clothes for the stronger half of humanity. In addition, for the first time in the history of fashion, the clothing logo was placed on the front side, which seemed quite strange.
A little later, polo was still appreciated and little by little fans began to appear for the brand. Among the first people to wear Lacoste clothes were athletes, film actors, politicians, and aristocrats. It was thanks to the example of celebrities that polo became popular quite quickly. They not only played tennis in T-shirts, but also played other sports:
- golf;
- basketball;
- football;
- sailing.
Variations on the theme of color
In 1951, the brand again amazed the imagination of its fans. Lacoste is the first company to produce colored T-shirts for the tennis court. Until this point, tennis players wore exclusively white polo shirts to competitions. There was even a definition for this color - “tennis white.” In 1952, the brand began exporting its products to America.
In 1963, a new round of development took place: Rene’s eldest son, Bernard, began to manage the company. The company's products have gained great popularity. Brand sales have reached a high level. The company began to sell 300,000 units per year. The products have become popular in many countries. Since 1970, the range of the brand has expanded. Not only Lacoste T-shirts went on sale, but also:
- cardigans;
- sweaters;
- accessories (glasses, bags);
- perfumery;
- leather goods;
- watch.
Over time, the popularity of the brand only increases. Polo and other clothing have long moved from tennis courts to the wardrobes of fashionistas and fashionistas. Now on the streets of big cities you can see young people dressed in clothes from this brand. Lacoste stores are opening all over the world. At first, products from this brand enter the USSR as contraband, brought in by sailors. The first boutique in the capital of the Russian Federation appeared in 1996. In the same year, a sad event occurred - Rene Lacoste died at the age of 92.
Not just polo
Few people know that Rene Lacoste invented more than just tennis T-shirts. What else was among his inventions?
- The world's first metal tennis racket with special string fastening.
- Special sticker to prevent arm dislocations during play.
- A cannon for shooting balls on the court in different directions. It is needed so that a tennis player can train alone and practice his shot.
Rene’s achievements also include several very significant awards:
- The French government awarded the tennis player the Order of the Legion of Honor.
- A monument to the designer has been erected in the center of Paris.
In 2001, the talented and creative designer Christophe Lemaire joined the team. As a lover of experimentation, he breathes new life into the brand. The brand, as before, actively sponsors prestigious tennis tournaments and supports young and talented tennis players.
In 2005, it became known that Bernard Lacoste had a serious illness. He transfers all matters to Michel Lacoste, his younger brother. This man has been helping him for forty years and knows everything about the brand. The fashion house continues to be exclusively a family business. At that time, the company's products were known and loved in more than 100 countries. More than 15 official stores are open in Russia. There are plans to expand their number to 40.
After a while, the reins of power pass to Philippe Lacoste, Rene’s grandson. In 2008, at a grand celebration on the occasion of the company’s seventy-fifth anniversary, he spoke with the words that the brand is constantly improving and is not going to stop there.
Perfumery
In addition to clothing and accessories, perfumes for men and women from the Lacoste brand are very popular:
- Lacoste pour femme;
- Touch of sun;
- Touch of spring;
- Inspiration.
How to protect yourself from buying a counterfeit?
Unfortunately, all popular fragrances begin to be counterfeited over time. How not to make a mistake and buy the original Lacoste perfume? Below are some effective tips:
- Ask the seller for a certificate of conformity.
- The original perfume is not produced in bottles smaller than 50 ml.
- The box in which the bottle is packaged must be made of high quality cardboard. The inscriptions on it are applied using the embossing method and filled in with tone.
- The date of manufacture is always stamped on the original.
- If possible, inspect the bottle. The lid must be absolutely smooth, without rough seams or abrasions. The bottle for the original perfume is made of glass with a bluish tint.
The history of the Lacoste brand is bright and dynamic! It's like a fairy tale with a happy ending. It all started with a desire to make their life more comfortable and an argument between two people, and ended with the birth of a fashion house that has no equal in the fashion world. When visiting Lacoste stores, customers find themselves on a holiday where the sense of style triumphs.
