The Lacoste alligator has for years been synonymous with professional tennis and for good reason.
At the heart of the Lacoste brand was its tenacious and ambitious founder, René Lacoste. The Frenchman was a hugely talented tennis player winning numerous tennis grand slams and crowned the best player in the mid 1920’s.
Nicknamed “the alligator” by a journalist in 1923 due to his sheer determination in winning tennis matches it stuck with him throughout his life. The alligator that now gets recognised as Lacoste was first used on his blazer in the late 1920’s and would form an integral part of his life after tennis.
René Lacoste was more than a tennis champion, inventing equipment and authoring his book on the sport before ending his career. It was clear that he would need something to keep him busy and a partnership with a knitwear company launched the Lacoste brand in the early 1930’s.
Their first product was the iconic white tennis shirts featuring the now famous alligator using new lighter and breathable fabrics. The shirts were an instant success and plans were put in place to increase manufacturing.