Held at the Tennis Club de Paris, the Lacoste Autumn Winter 2020 runway show is the third act in creative director Louise Trotter’s intimate dialogue with the bold spirit of René Lacoste. A powerhouse on and off the tennis court, René’s unrelenting thirst for excellence, his dedication and verve was matched by none other than his wife Simone Thion de la Chaume – herself a champion golfer. Together, they reflected the very definition of a sporting power couple. Today Louise Trotter celebrates the harmonies in their contrasts, and the beautiful ricochet of references between her sport and his. By applying modern technology to the sartorial aplomb of a century ago, a fresh sense of sportif style rises to the fore. Future classics are imbued with the timeless élan of Lacoste’s French heritage. 

Designed for elegance and performance – at leisure or play – the collection exudes a consummate and athletic ease. Lacoste green and navy are joined by clay court browns, spearmint, sky blue, candy pink, orange, lemon and tan, in a lively palette that recalls our collective memories of weekend tournaments, friendly matches, and the off-duty uniforms of the sporting elite. Comfort and ease is the luxury of today: bringing the focus closer to the body, sports blazers and trousers are tailored in technical jersey and shell knits and brushed pullovers play with the structures and scale of Prince de Galles, houndstooth and Vichy checks. Pulled from the lexicon of French pop culture, the Lacoste crocodile peeks out from jacket linings and a pastel all-over print, as tennis skirts in Japanese jersey are worn with racket and club print silk blouses, and boxy polo styles feature chunky knit collars, contrast plackets and leather trims. 

Protective outerwear is revisited – the trench, duffel, car coat and hooded vareuse anorak are finished in sleek pairings of bonded jersey neoprene, soft alpaca or checked double face piped with leather, thermal topstitching, or archive ‘framis’ taping. Straight from the 1980s, the original T-Clip sneaker is updated in contrast pastel shades, whilst brogued golf lanyards and caddy bags are a tongue-in-cheek nod to Simone Lacoste’s lifelong talent. 

Designed by René Lacoste, the original L1212 polo is elevated in a double-knit mercerized cotton. Premiering at the Autumn Winter 2020 fashion show, it is featured in a fly poster campaign at the Tennis Club de Paris worn by the season’s runway cast and photographed by Quentin De Briey.

TL