In the lead up to the 2010 Australian Open, the first grand slam tennis tournament of the year, Lacoste has announced it will be re-releasing a limited edition of the 101 sunglasses range. 30 years after it’s original conception, the aviator style shades will no doubt reclaim its popularity and appreciation, becoming a must have item for tennis fans and fashionistas alike.
It was Rene Lacoste’s desire for the ultimate playing shirt that saw the establishment of the clothing line back in the 1930s. The French tennis star designed the 1212 polo as a way of gaining more comfort on the court, striving to find a replacement for the overly starched, long-sleeved shirts exclusive to the era. 75 years after its creation as a brand, Lacoste has continued to design luxury attire renowned for its quality and comfort. The label has successfully maintained its connection to the tennis court in obtaining unrivaled heritage in the sports fashion market and has gone on to compete with labels such as Polo Ralph Lauren as one of the superior labels for up-market mens and womenswear, showcasing it’s latest collections twice yearly at the New York Fashion Show.
Back in the 1930s it was unheard of for a sportsman to design his own outfits, especially styles as daring and unique as the 1212 polo shirt. Lacoste’s avant-garde approach as a pioneer pathed the way for a tradition in the sport for tennis players to release their own brands and labels. British tennis player Fred Perry was one of the first to follow on from Rene Lacoste with his label becoming an alternative in tennis wear during the 1940s and 1950s. Today, Roger Federer, among others, has designed a signature brand in partnership with Nike with his initials emblazoned on his shirts, blazers and hats. However, as opposed to Lacoste’s desire for a more comfortable playing shirt, today’s stars merely see their designing input as a lucrative form of propaganda.
The Lacoste brand is famed for its iconic logo of the green crocodile. The 1212 polo shirt was the first occurrence of a logo being adorned to the outside of an item of clothing, again proving its heritage and importance as a label in sports fashion history. The creation of the logo is said to have stemmed from a bet made between Rene Lacoste and his Davis Cup captain. If Lacoste were to win his next match then his captain would buy him an alligator suitcase. One American journalist coined Lacoste’s nickname, writing, “he didn’t win the bag, but he fought like an alligator”. Soon the legend of the alligator became a crocodile logo embroidered on the breast pocket of the Frenchman’s blazers. The icon was established.
It wasn’t until 1980 that Lacoste began designing and manufacturing lifestyle products such as footwear and eyewear. The inaugural pair of ‘La Lunette Lacoste’ had to match the unique style and iconic stature founded by the 1212 polo shirt. In keeping with the label’s sporty elegance the ‘101’ range of sunglasses were fashioned.
The distinguishing factor between the 101 range and other aviator-style sunglasses is the inclusion of the striking green enamel inlayed on the dual bar bridge of the glasses. Design director of Lacoste eyewear, Christophe Pillet, describes this special feature as “a perfect representation of the two worlds of Lacoste: sport and elegance.” Pillet goes on to talk about the importance of focusing on the iconic products of the brand, such as the 1212 polo. “When we found the 101 sunglasses range in the archives we decided to reproduce them immediately.” The only altering made to the original designs is the upgrade in quality of the iconic logo on the temples and the packaging. The sunglasses now come in a more modern green and white box, which is meant to invoke the spirit of the line’s tennis-wear origins. Limited to only a thousand pairs of the range being recreated, each individual pair will be marked on the inside of the temple with a serial number denoting its place in the series of 1000.
The idea of restoring and modernizing tenniswear echoes the state of play in the game itself. The golden age of tennis is continuously recreated throughout each era with ever more competitive and determined players. Each decade, it seems, the rulebooks are rewritten. This cyclic method is healthy and allows for previously impossible feats to be smashed both on and off court. There will undoubtedly be heavy competition for the limited edition sunglasses with only 1000 pairs being made. Hopefully the contention to obtain a pair of the prized shades will match the contention for glory on the courts in Melbourne this summer!
BLK1 Article: JULIAN CHAUNDY
Images and Article: © BLK1 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.
