After 14 years on the New York runways, Lacoste has made the choice to return to Paris to celebrate 85 years of innovative sportswear and casual elegance. With the french DNA in mind, creative director Felipe Oliveira Baptista has always strived to honor what makes Lacoste so iconic but at the same time, keeping things fresh and up-to-date by collaborating with many artists who bring their exterior vision to the brand. For spring/summer 2018, Baptista definitely had a 90s aesthetic in mind, referencing films like « La Haine » by Kassovitz and « Conte d’été » by Rohmer. Both depict french social circles whether it be young wealthy teens or bad boys but share the same casual sportswear apparel. The show plays on the duality between higher class and street culture, deconstructing the classic Lacoste polos and shirts. Jeans are baggy and loose but worn with wool button-down cardigans and crisp white collar shirts are paired with bright-colored windbreakers. Boys walk down the runway with the poise and amused arrogance of a young Vincent Cassel, wearing baggy tracksuits and tinted aviator sunglasses. The Lacoste codes are twisted in a vintage 90s way but are made in high-tech materials, rendering them ergonomic and easy to wear. The iconic crocodile, as seen on polos and shirts, bursts into multiple huge multicolored crocodiles on a psychedelic pattern spread on dresses and high-waisted pants. Lacoste, stays, more than ever, a brand geared towards an active and fun youth.

Written by Alice Butterlin.