THE SPORTING LIFE
Byline: Antonia Sardone
NEW YORK — Lacoste may have a new designer on board, but he isn’t plotting a drastic design overhaul. Instead, Christophe Lemaire hopes to take the label back to its golden age in the late Fifties and early Sixties. “I don’t want to betray the brand by making it too fashion forward,” he said at a party in his honor held at the Hudson Hotel this week. As guests mingled, the designer played deejay to the fashion crowd, with a video of his debut collection for spring 2002 in the background. “Lacoste is a lifestyle for those who play sports for leisure, understand good food and enjoy the finer things in life,” he added. Lemaire did, however, toy with shapes, making them slimmer, adding more stretch pieces and using a smaller crocodile logo. While prices for some of the new items will be slightly higher than the classics, Lemaire stressed that the collection “has to be affordable — it’s not high end.”
Daniel Barth, president of Lacoste, appeared pleased with Lemaire’s approach. “Christophe has an understanding of the history of Lacoste,” he said. “He is reinforcing its roots and giving it a modern spin.” Just like he did at the turntables.