Everything
The Lacoste brand by any definition is one of heritage. Spanning over the last eight decades, legendary tennis player René Lacoste’s vision of innovative sportswear has been passed down through the years, and tasked with its continuance is Louise Trotter. Newly appointed in October 2018, she made her debut at Paris Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2019.
Replacing Felipe Oliveira Baptista – the man behind sell-out collaborations with BAPE and Supreme – all eyes would fall on the collection as to what direction it would take. Hailing from retail chain company Joseph, Trotter did her research before infusing the brand with design cues for a younger audience. Many runway collections before had never translated into sales within its retail sphere, but it looks like that might change. Because we want one of everything.
In keeping with the traditional codes of the French fashion house, a contemporary twist was apparent in a bid to create high-fashion, street-worthy looks. Opening up a magnificent show suitably held at the Tennis Club de Paris, the first look was the dubbed “René coat”, a well-structured and floor length piece that breezed down the runway which introduced the well-curated collection. Classically timeless and not before long, experimental outerwear and colour-block accents were peppered throughout heritage silhouettes. Among tones of beige, white, grey and navy, traditional sporting essentials such as the polo, cable-knit sweaters and technical outerwear were all reimagined, predominately in oversize cuts.
Like an exploration through the brand’s history, the runway had initially begun with well tailored pieces modestly styled, with of course the green crocodile emblazoned across the threads. High-neck knitwear were placed under blazers, while billowing trench coats and jumpsuits were belted at the waist. As the showcase continued, street-inspired looks were more apparent and expertly colour-blocked styles dominated the remainder of the collection. The running theme, creating a coherent and well established aesthetic came in the form of the aforementioned colour accents, ultimately thrusting the collection into 2019 high-fashion.
Despite its long heritage, the collection was far from the retrospective look we expected and rather an embracement and celebration of old pieces, made new again. In regards to accessories, it was a refinement of old favourites. The less than luxurious draw-string bag was recreated in leather and dressed in soft colour hues, a crocodile-inspired clutch made for a modern addition, while (thankfully), sneakers remained relatively unchanged in all-white leather court shoes and the occasional contrast-gum rendition.
Wearable but far from boring, the standard of streetwear has been elevated as Lacoste looks to match the big guns in a luxury fight for millennial following.
Congratulations goes to Louise Trotter.
