Lacoste goes modern & architectural
MANILA, Philippines - For his latest collection and final show for Lacoste, creative director Christophe Lemaire wanted to express the very essence of the brand. “Sporty and chic. Easy and playful. Clean and clear. In short, modern, minimal classics.”
Inspired by the geometrical patterns of Op Art, the bold lines of Bauhaus and specifically the early modernist Villa Noailles designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens, this collection is decidedly architectural and graphic.
The show starts in black and shades of white with contrasting textures: chalk on cotton, optical on crispy nylon and off-white on ultra-suede. Lemaire proposes fresh volumes for women, amplifying either the tops or bottoms with such pieces as kimono sleeve blouses with deep V-necks or tunics knitted in an oversized zoom-in piqué pattern.
Lemaire then shifts to a warm and sunny palette of tobacco brown, blood red and mercury orange. A sleeveless polo in cotton netting worn over short shorts in perforated suede reminds us that sporty can still be sexy. Bathing-suit cover-ups find new appeal in that same cotton netting and perforated suede as well as soft terrycloth.
The end of the show showcases the relaxed elegance for which Lacoste is renowned. Lemaire shows a witty side with jackets sans collars that actually have a trompe l’oeil collar and lapel print. He then demonstrates his flair for combining street and sport with a contemporary hybrid that will surely be the must-have item for men this season: pleated trousers featuring ribbed ankles adapted from tracksuits.
“I want to thank all of the teams, family and friends who have rallied together with me over the last 10 years to make Lacoste what it is today,” Lemaire adds. ‘Merci et bon courage. Vive le Crocodile!’
In the Philippines, Lacoste is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI) and is located at Greenbelt 3, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Tower, The Power Plant Mall, Megamall, The Podium, Mall of Asia, Gateway, Trinoma, Eastwood Mall, Newport Mall, Robinsons Galleria, Robinson’s Place Manila, Alabang Town Center — Corte de las Palmas, Ayala Center Cebu, SM Davao, soon to open this June 2011 — Abreeza Davao City
