Newly minted Creative Director Pelagia Kolotouros dug deep into the brand archive for a fresh homage to Ren&eacute; Lacoste.

&ldquo;Love&rdquo; a word people often exclaim or confess to show adoration, literally means &ldquo;nothing&rdquo; when it comes to tennis&mdash;nil, a zero. But if you had shouted &ldquo;Love!&rdquo; during Lacoste&rsquo;s Fall/Winter 2024 Paris Fashion Week show at the Stade Rolland Garros, everyone would have thought otherwise.

In attendance, and dressed in their best Lacoste &lsquo;fits, were Filipino style stars Pia Wurtzbach, clad in a classic trench and toting a top handle purse, and Sofia Andres, who opted for a neon green frock with yellow sportif lines and a trendy baguette. Other famous faces were eyeing Lacoste&rsquo;s PFW comeback with much anticipation&mdash;like actor Ahn Hyo Seop and Wang Yibo, who both wore runway pieces to the show. While Hollywood names like Adrian Brody and Emma Roberts were also seen at the bleachers and showed their support backstage.

In a smashing debut that can only be described as triumphant (to say the least), newly minted Lacoste Creative Director Pelagia Kolotouros hit the runway&mdash;or in this case, court&mdash;with looks that were intrinsically an homage Ren&eacute; Lacoste but with an obvious contemporary spin. And who better to rewrite tennis core codes than the French house that spearheaded the aesthetic anyway?
The first few looks set the tone in terms of wearability. Black coats tailored to perfection with pops of green in the form of crocodile-printed blankets and scarves. But it was only Pelagia&rsquo;s way of wetting your appetite for what came next. Yes, there were tennis skirts (a LOT of them), but styled over pants for a genderless and more utilitarian approach. The collection also explored this signature tennis skirt pleating with different hem lengths; sometimes combined for a waterfall effect around the body.

High-waisted trousers were also an obvious highlight, but cinched and buckled with a silver crocodile belt&mdash;a little garish but a fun detail nonetheless. Speaking of pants, it was all about having a lot of room. Meaning the fit of choice was oversized yet polished; the silhouette keeping to the straight lines of the court.

Another obvious standout were the pieces printed with archival photographs of Ren&eacute; Lacoste and his time on the field. A massive black and white print of a tennis racket was spotted on some silk dresses. While photos of the crowds during the French Open were used like sprawling landscapes on a few shirts, a coat, and a covetable cinched midi.

What about the iconic logo, you say? The return of the &ldquo;Chemise Lacoste&rdquo; label was the elephant in the room and came back in more ways than one, but significantly as a crest on tailored blazers. Pelagia wanted the crocodile to be seen more life-like, and realistic iterations of the animal came as larger-than-life prints across outerwear, collared shirts, and even baggy denim jeans you know Gen Z will love. While the humble crocodile logo was became a playful monogram in color-blocked dresses and even reimagined as chainmail for the more ornate pieces at the end of the show. An unexpected take, but we&rsquo;re soon realizing that&rsquo;s what this new Lacoste is all about.

The talk of &ldquo;newness&rdquo; at the brand should not scare away loyalist who simply love a classic Lacoste shirt. In this case, the pique tops remain the same and are simply refreshed through rich court tones of green and red clay. But it&rsquo;s the cropped tennis vest that truly shines as the humble pi&egrave;ce de resistance of the collection. Undeniably preppy and polished but with an ab-baring length, we foresee It girls across the world sporting this knitted piece in a few months&rsquo; time in a TikTok or Instagram photo dump. Not to mention, it&rsquo;ll fly off the shelves as soon as they&rsquo;re put on display. Because one can&rsquo;t have too many cute vests especially if they&rsquo;re French.

The beauty of Pelagia Kolotouros&rsquo; at the helm of Lacoste and this victorious comeback, proves that creativity can mean wearability and vice-versa. Nothing needs to be sacrificed for good clothes and style that&rsquo;s both effervescent yet equal parts new. There&rsquo;s only been one really good player when it comes to athleisure, and it has remained unchanged since 1933.
About SSI Group, Inc.:
The SSI Group is the Philippines&rsquo; largest specialty retailer, with an established brand portfolio that includes some of the world&rsquo;s most recognized international brands&mdash;including Lacoste. They lead the country&rsquo;s specialty retail market through the size and breadth of their brand portfolio and store network, with almost 100 brands, almost 600 stores and 11 e-commerce sites. Established in the 1980s, SSI has been at the forefront of the Philippine retail industry for more than 30 years. Throughout this time, they have sought to inspire and enhance the lifestyle values of customers, and to cater to the evolving tastes and aspirations of Filipino consumers.

The Good Sport: Lacoste Relives Its Tennis Roots for a Smash Hit PFW Comeback

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