Lacoste 80th Anniversary Archives - CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

The very first Advertising campaign from Lacoste back in 1933

Bonjour Style Trekers and welcome to a, particularly Gallic post today to celebrate an amazing milestone in the history of an exceptional brand. So without further ado, Happy Birthday Lacoste ! or Joyeaux Anniversaire for you linguistic sticklers. So what you gonna do for your birthday crocodile ?

Well, a whole host of celebrating 80 years of evolution, revisiting, reinventing and renewing of glamour, essentially.

It all started on a tennis court in 1933 when French tennis champion René Lacoste, or “the Crocodile” performed viva la revolution of men’s fashion by replacing the classical woven, long-sleeved starched shirt with a light and comfortable short-sleeved one in airy petit piqué fabric, better known today as the classic LACOSTE polo shirt.

Authenticity, audacity, empathy and a certain “joie de vivre”
inherited from the 30s are the four pillars that made LACOSTE a successful worldwide fashion brand. Today the iconic Croc insignia has more than 1160
boutiques throughout 110 countries, selling two items every second !!!!

Yes, all good and well, but what are the brand going to do to celebrate this historic event ? Well, first in the series of projects is, EDITION – a capsule collection of classic iconic Lacoste items inspired by images taken from the archive.

Next up we have, the Custom Polo shirt, the brand has created 12 very special limited edition custom polo kits, which, lets face it are bound for collectors item status. So throughout 2013, Lacoste will propose each month one custom polo kit, distributed exclusively in an F-Store available on the LACOSTE Facebook page (Facebook.com/Lacoste). Fans will have the opportunity to customise a white L.12.12 polo shirt using different techniques such as coloring, sewing, embroidery, flocking or graffiti.

Talk about saving the best for last and personally my favourite of the projects. Lacoste to commemorate 80 stylish years, invited the celebrated British designer Peter Saville, yes the same man responsible for designing some of the most memorable album covers EVER, including Closer by Joy Division, Happy Mondays’ Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches and responsible for designing the Identity logo to the best city in the UK, Manchester. Saville was asked to create a symbol to represent this milestone in the Brand’s history. Peter, of course, successfully rose to the challenge with a specially crafted 80th Anniversary Logo.

The resulting motif elegantly epitomises 80 years of Lacoste history with a contemporary vision. Peter worked alongside Lacoste Creative Director, Felipe Oliveira Baptista and Lacoste Design Director, Christophe Pillet to translate his celebratory configuration of circles forming a symbolic ‘80’ numeral which is designed to frame a multiplicity of visual content.

As stores start to get in their new Spring 2013 ranges and as the weathermen start to inform us of blizzards and freezing conditions. I thought I’d try and lighten the mood and give us something to look forward to. In the last couple of months of 2012, I was lucky enough to have a preview of countless apparel’s brands Spring /Summer collections for this forthcoming season from high end designer to high street brands. So I thought I’d give you a sneak preview, but keep it to yourself 😉 ENJOY.

Channeling a little warmer weather Tommy Hilfiger had some of the best swimwear around this season.

;

The Brilliant Sunglasses range Sunday Somewhere, well worth keeping your eyes peeled for, gettit !

;

Looking sharp and expect the unexpected from Peter Werth, over the next couple of seasons.

;

Look like a living work of art with casual wear brand FLY 53

;

We’ll definitely be seeing more of Tourne de Transmission, well certainly on here anyway.

Have to be honest, I L O V E love Hancock and they have a great back story. I know let’s do a post on them !

I can honestly say Camouflage HAS to be one of the biggest menswear trends for Spring 13 and this shirt from Addict is a great way of saying it. I have an idea this isn’t the last we’ll see of camo pieces.

;

I had to include this one, even though its more of a girls story, but if your stuck for a gift idea for the lady in your life these Eley Kishimoto X Clarks shoes will absolutely stunned.

;

This was one of my favourite jackets from the Press days and great for that unpredictable summer weather, well done Banana Republic.

;

Maybe its because of my love for Hitchcock but these sock from Thomas Pink are a much have for Spring.

;

Sir Paul Smith never fails when it comes to adding a spot of colour to our life and always manages to keep it looking masculine.

;

The day I saw this top with matching shorts from 55DSL, the weather was particularly fowl and left me longing warm barmy climbs.

;

Dr Martens are continuing to prove that they are going from strength to strength in the shoe department.

;

Smarten your act up over the summer with the simple deconstructed blazer by Boden.

Clarks have come up with this great footwear range based on its founder Nathan Clark, which has bags of potential to be expanded, in my humble opinion

;

These great boat shoes with a twist were a real pleasure surprise from Romain Kremer X Camper shoes

Told you we’d see more camo and this time it’s a collaboration by Passarella Death Squad X Boxfresh

OK granted not the most exciting of pieces but I guarantee Lacoste will have more planned to celebrate their 80th Anniversary !

;

One of the most exciting collaborations for Spring 2013 has to be Austin Reed X Spencer Hart, a lot of people have high expectations from this project and it don’t disappoint. More on this VERY soon.

A brand we haven’t heard to much from in this country for a while is J.Lindeberg. Well its well worth taking another look at them. The collection for Spring is amazing, this rucksack was a personal have but the burgundy tux and the tweed suits were worth smashing the piggy bank opening for !

Heureux Quatre-Vingtième Anniversaire Lacoste de Vêtements-Font-le-Man.com OR Happy Eightieth Birthday Lacoste from Clothes-Make-the-Man.com

Spring 2013 Preview

Categories