The history of the Lacoste brand began in 1933. The French campaign produces fashionable clothes 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 well-known tennis player. To date, 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 her rightful place among other famous participants.
Brand lines
Everything the company produces is divided into niches:
- Lacoste is the main line. It includes men's and women's clothing and accessories. These are outfits in sports style and casual (casual).
- Lacoste Kids - clothes for babies.
- Lacoste Lab - sports equipment.
- Lacoste L!ve - an extraordinary line of youth fashion for free spirits. It is famous for the fact that every season freelancers work on a product in this niche.street artists.
- Lacoste Jewelry - status jewelry.
- Lacoste Watches - 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?
You should start your acquaintance with a brand 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 (1926) his son would become the first racket of the world.
The story of the famous crocodile
The trademark emblem appeared before the idea of the 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, how did the history of the Lacoste brand begin? This happened in 1927. Shortly before the very important Davis Cup tournament 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. Win from himit was very difficult. Robert George, Rene's best friend, gave him a drawing of a green crocodile with its tail 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 like an athlete with a crocodile grip.
Legendary T-shirt
The history of the Lacoste brand began unpretentiously. Rene, already quite famous at that time, an athlete, ordered a T-shirt from a tailor, which he was supposed to wear to the American Championship. He was tired of catching colds after standing in the wind in wet clothes after an intense workout on the court.
The Lacoste T-shirt was made from specially ordered breathable cotton fabric with mixed threads. The matter was called pique. The polo had three buttons, a turn-down collar and sleeves to the elbow.
It is worth noting that at that time tennis was still played "at the parade". Athletes wore classic trousers 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 uniform of the tennis player. The athlete did not like it, and the idea came to start his own production.
Foundation of the brand
In 1933, the legendary tennis player's career ended and he decided to go into business. Paired with the manager of the knitting factory, Andre Gillier, launchescollection of polo shirts. The brand bears the name of the tennis player - Lacoste.
The trendsetter Coco Chanel also appeared in the history of Lacoste. It was thanks to the fact that she introduced sports style into fashion that Rene's idea worked. The first collection from the brand consisted of previously known white t-shirts and a green alligator. Since then it was fashionable in the fashion industry to number their products, the model had the name "1212".
In the history of the brand "Lacoste" there is evidence that the first reaction to the novelty was ambiguous. The public considered that T-shirts from this brand were too tight-fitting for the strong half of humanity. In addition, for the first time in the history of fashion, a clothing logo was placed on the front side, which seemed rather strange.
A little later, polo was still appreciated and little by little fans began to appear at the trademark. Among the first people who dressed in clothes from Lacoste were athletes, film actors, politicians, aristocrats. It was thanks to the example of celebrities that polo became popular quickly enough. They not only played tennis in T-shirts, but also went in for other sports:
- golf;
- basketball;
- football;
- sailing.
Color Variations
In 1951, the brand strikes the imagination of its fans again. Lacoste is the first company to produce colored T-shirts for the tennis court. Until that moment, tennis players wore only white polo shirts for competitions. There was even a definition for this color - "tennis white". AT1952 the brand began to export its products to America.
In 1963, a new round of development took place: the eldest son Rene, Bernard, became the head of the company. The company's products have become very popular. Brand sales are at a high level. In a year, the company began to sell 300,000 units. The products have become popular in many countries. Since 1970, the range of the brand has expanded. Not only Lacoste T-shirts appeared on sale, but also:
- cardigans;
- sweaters;
- accessories (glasses, bags);
- perfume;
- leather goods;
- watch.
Over time, the popularity of the brand only increases. Polos and other clothes 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 things from this brand. Lacoste stores are opening all over the world. In the USSR, at first, products of this brand fall as contraband, which is brought in by sailors. The first boutique in the capital of the Russian Federation appears in 1996. In the same year, a sad event occurs - at the age of 92, Rene Lacoste dies.
Not only polo
Few people know that Rene Lacoste invented not only T-shirts for tennis. What else was among his inventions?
- The world's first metal tennis racket with special string binding.
- Special sticker to prevent hand dislocations during the game.
- Cannon for shooting balls on the court in different directions. It is needed in order toa tennis player could train alone and practice his stroke.
Among René's achievements there are also some very significant awards:
- The French government awarded the tennis player with the Order of the Legion of Honor.
- A monument to the designer has been erected in the center of Paris.
In 2001, a talented and creative designer Christophe Lemaire joined the team. As a lover of experiments, he breathes new life into the trademark. 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 affairs to Michel Lacoste - his younger brother. This man has helped 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 are 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 government pass to Philippe Lacoste - the grandson of Rene. In 2008, at a grand celebration on the occasion of the company's seventy-fifth anniversary, he speaks with the words that the brand is constantly improving and is not going to stop there.
Perfume
In addition to clothes and accessories, perfumes for men and women from the Lacoste brand are very popular:
- Lacoste pour femme;
- Touch of sun;
- Touch of spring;
- Inspiration.
Howprotect yourself from buying a fake?
Unfortunately, all popular fragrances eventually begin to fake. How not to make a mistake and buy the original Lacoste perfume? Here are some actionable tips:
- Ask the seller for a certificate of conformity.
- The original perfume is not released in bottles of less than 50 ml.
- The box in which the bottle is packed must be made of high quality cardboard. The inscriptions on it are embossed and filled with tone.
- The date of manufacture is always stamped on the original.
- If possible, inspect the vial. The cover must be absolutely smooth, without rough seams and scuffs. The bottle for the original perfume is made of glass with a bluish tint.
Using these simple recommendations, you will save yourself from buying counterfeit.
The history of the Lacoste brand is bright and dynamic! It's like a fairy tale with a happy ending. It all started with the desire to make your life more comfortable and a dispute between two people, and ended with the birth of a fashion house that has no equal in the fashion world. Visiting Lacoste stores, buyers get to a holiday where the sense of style triumphs.
