Lacoste
Brand
Lacoste, headquartered in France, is an apparel company founded in 1933 by René Lacoste. The company sells high-end clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, and most famously, tennis shirts. René Lacoste founded La Chemise Lacoste in 1933 with André Gillier, the owner and president of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm at the time. They began to produce revolutionary tennis shirts with the crocodile logo embroidered on the chest. The green crocodile logo came from tennis champion Lacoste's nickname, "the Crocodile". In 1963, Bernard Lacoste took over the management of the company from his father René. Significant company growth was seen under Bernard's management. When he became president, around 300,000 Lacoste products were sold annually. In the 70’s the company merged with Izod and the little croc hit its popularity peak in the eighties when it became de rigueur for the ultra preppy aesthetic. During that time, the company also introduced other products into their line including shorts, perfume, opticals and sunglasses, tennis shoes, deck shoes, walking shoes, watches, and various leather goods. Today, the label is still a preppy-chic sportswear staple, with plenty of tennis whites and collared casual wear. Over the past few seasons, the line has secured a more streetwise vibe, incorporating bolder colors and new silhouettes under the creative direction of Christophe Lemaire.
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