VT’s Closet Classics: Lacoste 🐊

VT’s Closet Classics: Lacoste 🐊

VT’s Closet Classics: Lacoste 🐊

Lacoste was founded by French tennis legend René Lacoste in 1933 🎾 René earnt himself the nickname of “Le Crocodil” on his way to 7 Grand Slams and world no.1 status 🥇 He also invented the tennis ball machine and the steel racquet… what a boss🤴🏽



Rene’s nickname inspired the infamous Croc logo that adorned his tennis fits, however, his first collection of polos struggled to win over the financial elite 🤵🏽‍♂️ Fearing bankruptcy, René’s partner, the CEO of Izod, gave some shirts to his friends JFK and Eisenhower, and just like that, Lacoste and its infamous Croc started to get snapped up… Proper OG influencer marketing 🧞‍♂️


“We are a brand for the president and the taxi driver” Louise Trotter

In 1963 Rene handed over the reins to his son, Bernard, who wanted to move into a more luxury space 👔 This brought a new era for the brand that was initially very well received by the fashion elite, however, the 90s saw a big dip in sales as the streets fell in love with Lacoste and “Les Banileues” started to flex their fresh tracksuits and classic Girolle caps 🧢

Soon it was the streetwear uniform of Marseille and Paris 🇫🇷 Not exactly what René had in mind but this era helped make them the iconic brand we know today 🥶

 


Christophe Lemaire arrived in the early 00s to create an upscale chic look. This proved to be genius with 50 million products sold worldwide by 2005, as Lemaire’s popping colours, fresh silhouettes and street graphics became wardrobe staples 🌍


“Fashionable, but not trendy” fast became his mantra as he established the brand amongst style lovers with his timeless pieces 🕰 “It’s a transversal product that’s worn at the country club, by truck drivers or rap stars”, he stated, and he’s spot on 🕵🏽‍♂️ Whether it be Oasis, football terraces, or Wimbledon centre court, Lacoste never looks out of place… how many brands can say that? 👑



Our love for Lacoste continues to snowball as we discover more incredible pieces from the 70s through to the 00s, so we wanted to share with you our favourite pieces that we’ve picked up…