Haute Fashion Daily Reviews Lacoste Spring 2013

At designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista’s show for Lacoste on September 8, the runway at the Lincoln Center was a master class in materials. While many designers sought to rehash the color blocking trend, it was material rather than color which featured at Lacoste.

In his fourth year at the helm, Baptista took this classic sporty brand towards a stylish post-modern sports tech, with rich prints peppered in amidst nearly clinical black and white. The materials were so visually impressive you could practically feel each piece from your seat, with dresses in thick, slinky jersey and stiff structural leather tops. The standout was the translucent synthetic material which cropped up throughout the show, in permutations ranging from a simple t-shirt lending a sporty feel to body-conscious underpinnings, or as a futuristic rain jacket.

Oversized silhouettes dominated, with hooded jackets, elongated short-sleeves and loose trousers. The brand’s tennis heritage was reinterpreted in abstract prints featuring rackets, balls, and even an umpire’s chair. These stunning prints were wrought in bright reds and a range of rich blues, peppered amidst the black and white.

To see the full gallery of photos and to read the full review, head to Haute Fashion Daily.