Lacoste’s Fall/Winter 2015-2016 Collection pays homage to the brand’s strong sporting heritage with a modern twist, fit for New York Fashion Week.
Lacoste’s Fashion Show was gleaming with colour and imagination as soon as the show began. Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Creative Director, has introduced a contemporary collection using vintage ski wear and winter tennis as inspiration. Baptista has taken Rene Lacoste’s vision and modernized this idea to accentuate self-expression. Baptista combined the comfort and lightness of sportswear with the elegance of long, tailored overcoats. The idea was for articles of clothing to adapt to your life, and situation, introducing an element of modularity.
The bold prints and retro vibe of the collection were a contemporary twist on traditional sportswear. There were strong colours and subtle tones, contrasted with the art-deco prints reading “Rene Did It First”. In the 1920s, Rene Lacoste earned the nickname ‘Alligator’ from a journalist. Inspired by polo players, the first Lacoste shirt was born in 1926, founding the concept of functional elegance.
“I started by looking at late-60s ski stuff that Lacoste did for the French Olympic team and it got me thinking of a retro futuristic ski vibe,” Baptista said backstage. Baptista has developed a line of technical sportswear, designed for city wearing. Not only did he play with the idea of a tracksuit, but also opened up coat seams and implemented panels of mesh to reflect the main tennis theme. Baptista emphasises the tracksuit as a celebrated city outfit with thick jerseys, flowing coats and elegant fabrics.
The Lacoste Fall/Winter 2015-2016 collection has a heavy retro slant with updated styles and innovative reworkings of classic shapes and cuts. Lacoste has proven time and time again that stylish sportswear is where they excel. This collection is sure to turn heads, both on and off the court.