From sport to lifestyle, the genesis of a new style
It hasn’t been easy, nor has it happened overnight, but sportswear managed to become a huge deal in the fashion industry and somehow made it look easy. Going from the tennis court to the runway and finally the street, this is the story of activewear.
In the olden days, people played tennis in their everyday formal clothes. Women played tennis wearing long dresses that got shorter over time, and men wore shoes, trousers and shirts. There wasn’t sportswear or breathable fabrics, no seamless t-shirts, no sneakers, nothing.
In the beginning, men sometimes even wore hats on the court, while it was popular for women to hold their hair with bandanas during games. Tennis was an excuse to gather, it was a social event to have fun, and the competition started later. It was in those days that René as a tennis player, conceived the idea of Lacoste, and the crocodile brand was created.