Lacoste Joins the Upcycling Movement

Editorial TeamEditorial Team
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July 6th, 2022

In its 2021 collection, the brand's signature pieces were given a twist that simplifies or exaggerates silhouettes whilst also opting for a circular approach.

The transition towards sustainability increasingly calls for a radical change in fashion consumption patterns. One of the most celebrated practices is that of giving a second life to used garments, an indispensable step on the road to a circular economy that brands such as Lacoste are already joining. The firm has rescued materials from the past to give life to its S/S 2021 collection, which is brimming with history and craftsmanship. Lacoste was founded by the famous tennis player René Lacoste created his own clothing brand while he was still participating in grand slam tournaments. The Lacoste crocodile and its polo shirt are known everywhere, the brand's isotype is the famous green Gigi alligator, also known as the Charles crocodile, which is present on almost all its products.  

  Lacoste Goes Circular Lacoste's creative director, Louise Trotter has put upcycling into practice. This technique is based on giving a second, and if possible, better life to used objects through recycling. As if she were an art collector, Trotter has rescued material from previous seasons, stock, fabrics and other vintage pieces. Made with organic cotton that is GOTS certified, the result is a collection that celebrates the universal concepts of sportswear through the iconography of Lacoste's past and present.  

  Among the 200 pieces in the Croco Couture collection are reinvented classics and new creations such as polo shirts turned into joggers or nylon windbreakers transformed into tennis shorts. While the brand's signature pieces have been given a twist that simplifies or exaggerates silhouettes. For example, shortened pleated skirts, cropped anoraks and ribbed polo shirts, others with fringes? The brand's logo has not remained untouched either. Trotter has taken up the evolution of the crocodile over the years to give it new expressions. Trotter has also enlisted the help and expertise of Lemarié, the legendary French embroidery specialist. The crocodile appears in sewn embroidered prints, screen prints, and geometric shapes.