Lacoste celebrates Olympic heritage with new apparel line

Lacoste has unveiled its first Olympic Heritage lifestyle apparel collection to coincide with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the summer Olympics in Mexico City 1968 and winter Olympics in Grenoble 1968.

The exclusive men’s clothing and accessories line is part of Lacoste’s three-year licensing agreement with the International Olympic Committee as part of the sporting organisations new global licensing strategy, which has been developed in line with Olympic Agenda 2020.

The idea of the collaboration is to highlight the “graphic legacy” and heritage of past Olympic Games, and the partnership with Lacoste will feature two annual capsule collections until 2020, which will be initially be sold, starting this summer, in 10 countries: Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain and the UK.

For the first edition, Lacoste has chosen to celebrate the Olympic Games Mexico City 1968 and the Olympic Winter Games Grenoble 1968. The Mexico 68 collection features the logo used at the games, a simple and linear geometry design inspired by the Mexican cultures and folk art.

The collection sees the number 68 formed by two of the five Olympic rings affixed to the chest of a polo shirt and a cap, as well as all over a polo shirt, and written in full on a sweatshirt and T-shirts in navy blue, red, white and grey.

Lacoste teams up with the International Olympic Committee for new collection

The second capsule, Grenoble 68 features the snow crystal with three roses of the city’s arm placed above the Olympic rings as used for the games emblem, this has been adorned to a five-piece collection, including a polo shirt with a double piping on the collar, a colour block long sleeves polo shirt, a sleeveless padded jacket, a hat and a T-shirt.

In a speech at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Timo Lumme, managing director of International Olympic Committee, television and marketing services, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of this new collection, which marks the beginning of an exciting licensing agreement with Lacoste to further connect people with Olympic history and legacy.

“The collection celebrates the iconic designs of Olympic Games Grenoble 1968 and Mexico City 1968 on their 50th anniversary. These Games not only represented a turning point for the art and design of the Olympic Games, they also left a strong sporting and cultural heritage that is still acknowledged today.”

Lacoste chief executive, Thierry Guibert added in a press release: “We are happy to start this licensing agreement with the International Olympic Committee. Founded by tennis player and entrepreneur René Lacoste, Olympic medalist in 1924, the Lacoste brand carries the values of fair play, elegance and tenacity that are dear to the Olympic Movement. Those common values have inspired us this collection that radiate with a touch of French elegance the iconographic heritage of past Olympic Games.”

The Lacoste Mexico 68 collection will be available from July, followed by Grenoble 68 in September.

Images: courtesy of Lacoste