words_anthony albin
The nice people at LACOSTE hooked us up with a VIP card for 40% off anything we want, so I checked in to see what the iconic French brand has been up to. In addition to an impressive multi-media, multi-platform shopping experience (lacoste.com or via app on the iPhone / iPad), the tennis-loving lifestyle brand has expanded well beyond it's roots as a maker of polo shirts. LACOSTE's line-up now offers offers footwear, fragrances, leather goods, eyewear, watches, belts, beach towels, a jewelry line to launch for Spring 2011 and even mobile phones.
Rest assured, the classic crocodile-emblazoned L.12.12 polo shirt that René Lacoste made famous almost 80 years ago is still available in seemingly endless colors and styles (click here if you're curious why it's called L.12.12). The site also offers a 25-page timeline detailing the history of the brand (in French and English).