When heritage stems from innovation, the only way is forward.
Where the rules of tennis and life are one and the same, dynamic harmonies emerge.
With the impetus of the new as perpetual motivation, Louise Trotter presents her debut collection for Lacoste at the Tennis Club de Paris – acknowledging the life and times of René Lacoste and his dedication to excellence above all things. As both champion and inventor, René carved out a prodigious legacy far beyond the court. His pioneering spirit and innate personal style form the building blocks of this wardrobe: garments engineered for performance and imbued with desire. Approaching Lacoste as a wellspring of iconography, the Autumn Winter 2019 collection revisits the bygone elegance of sport and its relevance in contemporary society. Movement of the body and movement on the body are at the forefront of research and development into shape and fabrication – unlocking pragmatic solutions for dressing that surpass their apparent simplicity.
Shaded in city neutrals and tennis whites through warm citrus yellow and Lacoste Vert 132 green, a ystematic and emotional crescendo of colour frames the season’s fusion of formal codes with modern technical garments. Defining the proposition of tactile materiality, the soft and smooth hand feel of flannel, matte nylon, loopback bouclé and classic cotton piqué creates a sense of elevated comfort throughout. By observing the tenets of French dress, outerwear items like the double-breasted ‘René’ coat, anorak, 2-button blazer and trench coat are vital components – urban staples updated with detachable hoods, hermo-bonded seams, and archive herringbone twill lining.
Forever a house signature, the polo shirt underpins the silhouette as a template for experimentation; econstructed with stripe knit collars, layered as a mock-neck twinset, or blown up in graphic jersey shapes. Oversized Cubist handknits continue this theme, reinterpreting the traditional tennis sweater as a textural collage. The tennis shoe is too remixed, dipped in vulcanized rubber or a Velcro scuba hightop. Injecting the Lacoste vocabulary with new elements of modular design, sportif separates zip into their own pockets and flyaway drawstring trench coats protect backpacks, while the tennis skirt is translated into box-pleated tunic and apron shapes. Their fluid volumes reappear in printed and pleated silks, from the interlocking, geometric ‘L’ monogram to colour-blocked crêpe. Designed in 1927 by Robert George, the Lacoste rocodile is treated with irreverence and humour in a multitude of guises – from subtle tonal embroidery, all-over prints and exploded patchworks to quirky leather accessories – affirming its status as a universal Pop Art icon.