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■ About the Publication
Amid the waves of numerous brands sweeping the globe, B shares its perspective on well-balanced brands and uses print media to demonstrate the timeless values of individual brands. Defining a well-balanced brand by four standards-beauty, practicality, price, and philosophy-B offers unique insights and in-depth analysis of one well-balanced brand in one issue every month.

■ About the Issue
Lacoste, founded in 1933 by French tennis legend Rene Lacoste, set a new standard for sportswear with the L.12.12, a pique polo shirt developed to balance on-court performance with style. Rene’s pursuit of both practicality and a refined aesthetic formed the brand’s identity alongside the iconic crocodile logo, allowing his tennis-rooted designs to naturally integrate into everyday attire. Since then, Lacoste has accumulated contemporary significance as it was reinterpreted across preppy style, street culture, and other diverse cultural currents while expanding its reach into high fashion with runway collections. Today, Lacoste solidifies its presence by carving out a unique space between mega sportswear brands and traditional luxury houses-a position defined by its signature “functional elegance.”

■ 5 Key Takeaways from Issue no.101
· A heritage museum that looks 90 years back to see beyond the next century
In Troyes, France-birthplace of the L.12.12, the pique polo that symbolizes Lacoste-stands a heritage museum preserving over 90 years of history. Its holdings span some 45,000 textiles, including a jacket founder Rene Lacoste favored in his playing days, plus 6,000-odd pairs of shoes, eyewear, and drawings. Through this archive, Lacoste finds cues for new collections and products. It offers a glimpse not only into Lacoste's past, but its future.

· The creative lineage from Lemaire to Baptista to Trotter, and the story behind the 2026 F/W collection
Christophe Lemaire, founder of Lemaire; Felipe Oliveira Baptista, former director of Kenzo; and Louise Trotter, now at the helm of Bottega Veneta. As Lacoste's creative directors, these three figures shaking today's fashion scene elevated the sportswear label into the realm of fashion. Building on this, Pelagia Kolotouros-who joined in 2023-is translating Rene Lacoste's heritage into the language of fashion. We trace the runway journey from Lemaire to Trotter through an expert's eyes, with a look behind the 2026 F/W collection.

· From K-pop artists to tennis legend Novak Djokovic, the people who wear Lacoste
Having begun as sportswear and worked its way deep into everyday life, Lacoste's reach comes into focus through the people who make the brand their own. K-pop artist Kai, with his signature relaxed styling, shows its range as a fashion item, while tennis legend Novak Djokovic-writing his name into Grand Slam history in a crocodile-emblazoned uniform-proves its enduring strength as sportswear. Beyond them, creators from film directors to stylists reinterpret Lacoste's clothing in their own ways.

· How the crocodile logo crossed eras to create different cultural codes
Lacoste was born on the tennis court, yet its reach extends far beyond it, embracing a wide range of cultures. From the 1960s to the 1980s, chosen by icons who defined their age-John F. Kennedy Jr., Diana Spencer, and others-it established itself as a symbol of the classic preppy look; in the 1990s, through the film La Haine and the hip-hop group 113, it was reborn as an avant-garde icon representing the subculture of France's suburban banlieues. We take a close look at Lacoste's cultural spectrum, ever-expanding as it dissolves the boundaries of era, generation, and class.

· From LVMH and Richemont, the Lacoste envisioned by Eric Vallat, a luxury veteran
A fashion house or a sportswear brand; a high-end label for the few or a mega-brand for the many. Faced with these crossroads, Lacoste resists easy definition-the result of a shrewd strategy balancing the refinement of a fashion house with the energy of a sportswear brand. So where does the next step lead for a brand with nearly a century of heritage? The answer lies with Eric Vallat, who became CEO in 2025. Having spent over three decades across every corner of luxury-LVMH, Richemont, even Remy Martin-he tells us the future trajectory Lacoste will trace.

  작가 소개

지은이 : B Media Company
비미디어컴퍼니(B Media Company)는 브랜드와 브랜드를 둘러싼 비즈니스, 라이프스타일에 대한 균형적 관점을 통해 여러 매체를 망라한 콘텐츠를 제작하는 미디어 기업입니다. 브랜드 다큐멘터리 매거진 <B>, 푸드 다큐멘터리 매거진 <F> 등의 정기 간행물을 중심으로 ‘잡스(JOBS)’, ‘더 시리즈(THE SERIES)’와 같은 단행본을 소개하며, 뉴스레터 ‘스프레드바이비 (Spread by B)’, 팟캐스트와 유튜브 채널 ‘B캐스트(B CAST)’ 등의 디지털 콘텐츠로도 그 영역을 확장해왔습니다. 더불어 10여 년간 쌓아온 여러 글로벌 브랜드와의 파트너십을 기반으로 온·오프라인을 아우르는 독자적 비즈니스 모델을 구축해가고 있습니다.(magazine-b.com)

  목차

02 INTRO

08 EDITOR’S LETTER

12 FROM YARN TO POLO SHIRT
The Troyes factory shows the brand’s history and technology.

22 THE ARCHIVE AT WORK
A heritage museum that turns its archives into a living language, offering insight into how the brand moves forward

28 ROOTED IN TENNIS
Lacoste’s signature items that embody the aspirations of a tennis player

38 OPINION: PELAGIA KOLOTOUROS
Creative Director Pelagia Kolotouros is known for interpreting Rene Lacoste’s legacy through a cinematic lens.

44 ON COURT
The Lacoste 2026 F/W runway collection at Roland-Garros Stadium, a symbol of tennis tradition

50 SUCCESSION
Looking at the expansion of Lacoste as a fashion brand through the brand’s runway collection archive

56 BEYOND THE ARENA
A retail strategy based on the Lacoste philosophy, proposing a lifestyle from its home in Paris

64 IN THE FILM
Exploring the Lacoste aesthetic through movie wardrobes

70 OPINION: THIBAUT DE LONGEVILLE
Film director Thibaut de Longeville examines the brand’s significance through its history, symbolism, and social standing

76 WORN IN TIME AND CULTURE
Lacoste, viewed through the cultural experiences and items of vintage collectors and shop owners

86 PREPPY TO BANLIEUE
Lacoste reinterpreted through the diverse cultural codes across Paris and the banlieues

94 CROCO PEOPLE
From Paris to Nagoya: People enjoying Lacoste in their own unique ways

102 A CROCODILE SIGNATURE
The crocodile logo, a symbol of attitude and elegance on the court

114 OFF COURT
A community in New York that expands life through tennis culture

122 OPINION: GUY FORGET
Former pro tennis player Guy Forget connects Lacoste with the essence of tennis, which he defines as creativity and sensibility

128 ROLAND-GARROS
Lacoste has expanded the dignity and culture of tennis through its partnership with Roland-Garros

132 EVOLUTION
The evolution of the technology and style of Lacoste performance wear

138 ICON
The Player's Legacy from Rene Lacoste to Novak Djokovic

142 BRAND STORY
The growth story of Lacoste, which inherited founder Rene Lacoste’s tenacity and elegance

152 INTERVIEW: ERIC VALLAT & AMANDINE MOREL
CEO Eric Vallat on the brand’s positioning and legitimacy,
EVP of Brand Amandine Morel on the strategy behind leveraging Lacoste’s heritage

160 THE SPIRIT OF RENE
Social and cultural campaigns and events that carry the spirit of Rene Lacoste forward

164 DIGEST
Various figures showcasing Lacoste’s tennis-based influence and growth metrics

167 OUTRO

  회원리뷰