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Lacoste
Lacoste 75th Anniversary
Tennis season in New York is in full swing with the US Open half way over. While rackets and whites are typical attire for the game, there’s one brand that has arguably done more for the synergy of tennis and fashion than any other—Lacoste. Founded by Renee Lacoste, a French tennis Champion, in 1933, the story of the logo dates back to 1927. “I was nicknamed ‘the Alligator’ by the American press after I made a bet with the captain of the French Davis Cup Team concerning a suitcase made from alligator skin. He promised to buy it for me if I won a very important match for our team,” Lacoste has said. Today, the company still holds true to its sporting roots, but has expanded to encompass a long list of high-quality lifestyle products sold in 110 countries around the world. Andy Roddick, who became the face of Lacoste in 2005, says of the phenomenon that Lacoste has become: “The brand came from tennis. Now it’s crossed over into pop culture, with a lot of people wearing it. I love the fact that it did come from tennis, from our little, small tennis world, and now its become mainstream.”
“The public must have been fond of this nickname [the Alligator], which conveyed the tenacity I displayed on the tennis courts, never letting go of my prey,” said Lacoste.
Rene Lacoste in 1927 at Vainqueur Forest Hill
In 1933, Lacoste and Andre Gillier, the owner and chairman of France’s largest knitwear manufacturing firm at the time, set up a company to make the logo-embroidered shirt designed by the champion for his own use on the tennis court. The shirt revolutionized men’s sportswear and is arguably the first time a brand name appeared on the outside of an article of clothing.
Lacoste advertising, 1937
Ever the innovator, Lacoste invented the first steel racket in 1963, a breakthrough in tennis equipment that threatened the supremacy of the wooden racket and lead the way for today’s models.
First steel tennis racket created by Lacoste, 1963
Renee Lacoste passed away in 1996, but left behind a legacy and empire that today includes more than 925 Lacoste boutiques worldwide. That same year, almost a testament to the brand’s success, Lacoste opened a boutique on Madison Avenue.
Madison Avenue Lacoste boutique, which opened in December of 1996
The development of the Lacoste Piqué Stretch polo contributes to the success of the brand wordwide, in particular, the United States, which, at the end of 2004, became Lacoste’s number one market worldwide.
Lacoste Piqué Stretch polo in regal Purple, $79.50, lacoste.com
In 2005, Lacoste announced the signature of a five-year partnership with Andy Roddick. Of being approached by the company Roddick says, “I was excited. It made sense in a lot of different areas. There were a lot of parallels because they hadn’t signed a lot of American tennis players before, basically they’re based in France, and it kind of followed the progression now that the US is the biggest market for it.”
Andy Roddick, who became the Lacoste spokesperson in 2005
Now one of the most recognized brands worldwide, Lacoste accomplished a wholesale turnover of 2.284 billion dollas in 2007. The company estimates that within the 110 countries where the brand is sold, two Lacoste products are sold every second.
The Lacoste 75th Anniversary Logo
In celebration of its 75th anniversary, Lacoste invites Internet users to imagine what tennis would be like in another 75 years, in 2083. Creating a site to showcase the future of tennis, lacoste-future.com, allows users to witness two documentary sections recalling the brand’s history through the present and then beyond, with a futuristic character, which the company claims could be the remote descendent of tennis star Roddick.
Image from Lacoste Future campaign, lacoste-future.com
Tennis season in New York is in full swing with the US Open half way over. While rackets and whites are typical attire for the game, there’s one brand that has arguably done more for the synergy of tennis and fashion than any other—Lacoste. Founded by Renee Lacoste, a French tennis Champion, in 1933, the story of the logo dates back to 1927. “I was nicknamed ‘the Alligator’ by the American press after I made a bet with the captain of the French Davis Cup Team concerning a suitcase made from alligator skin. He promised to buy it for me if I won a very important match for our team,” Lacoste has said. Today, the company still holds true to its sporting roots, but has expanded to encompass a long list of high-quality lifestyle products sold in 110 countries around the world. Andy Roddick, who became the face of Lacoste in 2005, says of the phenomenon that Lacoste has become: “The brand came from tennis. Now it’s crossed over into pop culture, with a lot of people wearing it. I love the fact that it did come from tennis, from our little, small tennis world, and now its become mainstream.”
“The public must have been fond of this nickname [the Alligator], which conveyed the tenacity I displayed on the tennis courts, never letting go of my prey,” said Lacoste.
Rene Lacoste in 1927 at Vainqueur Forest Hill
In 1933, Lacoste and Andre Gillier, the owner and chairman of France’s largest knitwear manufacturing firm at the time, set up a company to make the logo-embroidered shirt designed by the champion for his own use on the tennis court. The shirt revolutionized men’s sportswear and is arguably the first time a brand name appeared on the outside of an article of clothing.
Lacoste advertising, 1937
Ever the innovator, Lacoste invented the first steel racket in 1963, a breakthrough in tennis equipment that threatened the supremacy of the wooden racket and lead the way for today’s models.
First steel tennis racket created by Lacoste, 1963
Renee Lacoste passed away in 1996, but left behind a legacy and empire that today includes more than 925 Lacoste boutiques worldwide. That same year, almost a testament to the brand’s success, Lacoste opened a boutique on Madison Avenue.
Madison Avenue Lacoste boutique, which opened in December of 1996
The development of the Lacoste Piqué Stretch polo contributes to the success of the brand wordwide, in particular, the United States, which, at the end of 2004, became Lacoste’s number one market worldwide.
Lacoste Piqué Stretch polo in regal Purple, $79.50, lacoste.com
In 2005, Lacoste announced the signature of a five-year partnership with Andy Roddick. Of being approached by the company Roddick says, “I was excited. It made sense in a lot of different areas. There were a lot of parallels because they hadn’t signed a lot of American tennis players before, basically they’re based in France, and it kind of followed the progression now that the US is the biggest market for it.”
Andy Roddick, who became the Lacoste spokesperson in 2005
Now one of the most recognized brands worldwide, Lacoste accomplished a wholesale turnover of 2.284 billion dollas in 2007. The company estimates that within the 110 countries where the brand is sold, two Lacoste products are sold every second.
The Lacoste 75th Anniversary Logo
In celebration of its 75th anniversary, Lacoste invites Internet users to imagine what tennis would be like in another 75 years, in 2083. Creating a site to showcase the future of tennis, lacoste-future.com, allows users to witness two documentary sections recalling the brand’s history through the present and then beyond, with a futuristic character, which the company claims could be the remote descendent of tennis star Roddick.
Image from Lacoste Future campaign, lacoste-future.com
