Heritage
A house, in its own words
René Lacoste grew up in Bordeaux in the 1920s, a gifted student with a deeper passion for tennis. At 18 he abandoned his studies to pursue the sport professionally, and by 1926 he held the world number one ranking with seven Grand Slam titles. The crocodile nickname arrived that same year after an American captain promised him a leather suitcase he had admired in Boston if he won his next match. He lost, but the press christened him the crocodile anyway, and René encouraged the association by having designer Robert George sew a crocodile emblem onto his white court jackets. In 1933 he founded Lacoste with André Gillier, introducing the first short-sleeved polo shirt in breathable petit piqué cotton that liberated players from stiff formal dress. It was the first brand to feature a logo on its clothing. During the 1950s export expanded worldwide and a children's line arrived, cementing the brand's transgenerational appeal. By the 1980s the crocodile had conquered American campuses, earning a place in the Official Preppy Handbook as the ultimate preppy brand. Christophe Lemaire's appointment as creative director in 2000 modernized the house and drove sales to 50 million products across 110 countries by 2005. Lacoste entered perfumery in 1968 with a debut Eau de Toilette and expanded into women's fragrances through the 1980s and 1990s, with the 1999 Lacoste Woman and 2004 Touch of Pink becoming signature scents. Most recently, the house partnered with Interparfums for the 2025 launch of Lacoste Original. René Lacoste believed invention was a way of life, and that philosophy still guides every Lacoste creation. He did not simply play tennis, he reimagined what players could wear. He did not merely compete, he designed tools and textiles that changed the game. This restless elegance defines the house across clothing and fragrance alike. Lacoste fragrances express a sporty refinement that feels neither overwrought nor understated. The house believes that true sophistication moves with you, that style should liberate rather than constrain, and that elegance lives in the details of daily life rather than in grand gestures. Each fragrance captures the tension between athletic energy and Parisian composure that has defined the brand since its founding. The house continues to collaborate with external perfumers and creative partners who share this dual sensibility.