T O P L I N E - arunabha Bose ( Courtesy - BTW Magazine)

Sporting croc

Lacoste, which began its journey on tennis courts, is a premium sports wear today

A tennis player, René Lacoste, founded La Chemise Lacoste in 1933 with André Gillier, the owner and President of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm of the time. The duo began to produce the revolutionary tennis shirt Lacoste had designed and worn on tennis courts with the alligator logo embroidered on the chest, serving as the first example of a brand name appearing on the outside of an article of clothing.

In addition to tennis shirts, Lacoste produced shirts for golf and sailing. The company began to expand as it branched from ‘tennis white’ to introduce colour shirts. The shirts were exported to the United States and advertised as‘the status symbol of the competent sportsman’, influencing the clothing choices of the upper-class.

Its visibility has increased due to contracts between Lacoste and several young tennis players, including American tennis star Andy Roddick and the rising French star Richard Gasquet. Lacoste has also increased its presence in the golf world, with noted two-time Master champion, José María Olazábal and Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie sporting their shirts in tournaments.

Presently, the French apparel company sells high-end clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, and most famously, tennis shirts. Recognised by its green crocodile logo, Lacoste is headquartered in Paris. It currently has its production capital in Troyes, France, though production of international clothing has been delegated to numerous factories in over 12 countries around the world, including Peru, Morocco, Romania and Italy.