Lacoste fêtes 85th anniversary in style at Paris Fashion Week

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Sep 27, 2017

For the occasion, Paris' Tuileries Gardens hosted a white outdoor stage in the shape of a tennis court, the seven giant-sized letters of the name 'Lacoste' scattered across the floor. It was the setting chosen by French label Lacoste to celebrate its 85th anniversary, and fête its return to the Parisian catwalks after showing in New York for 14 years.

 
Centre-stage, the Chassol trio played a punchy electro-jazz piece, the ideal band and sound to accompany a mix-and-match collection featuring jogging pants alongside chic little dresses, corset dresses worn with tennis sneakers and sport socks, and retro tracksuits combined with moccasins. Also, loose, colourful wind-breakers draped over navy blue dresses with gilded buttons, and classic blazers fashioned out of sweatshirt fleece. All of this in Lacoste's traditional colours: navy blue, green, red and white.

"It is a blend of genres, from a very sophisticated preppy style to contemporary sportswear, first seen when Lacoste made its streetwear debut in the 1980s and 90s. The traditional borders between sportswear and daywear are collapsing, these are very interesting times for designers," said Felipe Oliveira Baptista, the label's Creative Director since 2011.

Lacoste's masculine looks featured an array of ultra-comfy long johns, sky blue cable-knit sweaters, baggy trousers and faded jeans in typical 80s style. For women, the label alternated preppy outfits like the trousers-cardigan combo in cream-coloured fabric trimmed with a navy blue stripe, and ruched summer dresses decorated with Lacoste's signature motifs: the crocodile, tennis balls and sunglasses.

"I wanted to retrace the entire history of Lacoste, creating a distilled extract starting in 1933, when René Lacoste famously cut the sleeves of his white poplin shirt to make the first polo," added the Portuguese designer, who fashioned his summer 2018 wardrobe chiefly out of piqué cotton, jersey and nylon, "authentic materials that are Lacoste's signature traits."
 
The label’s legendary polos played their part too, of course, revisited in unexpected colours and motifs, or wholly made-over into bare-shoulder, asymmetric dresses.