A retreat where champions and passionate amateurs experience their most vulnerable moments. In this immersive setting, Lacoste Creative Director Pelagia Kolotouros illuminates the brand’s sporty DNA from a new perspective. It goes beyond just competition and dedicates itself to the formative years of founder René Lacoste.
For the presentation of the Spring Summer 2026 collection, Lacoste transformed the historic Eiffel Hall of the Lycée Carnot, an impressive glass-and-iron structure by Hector Degeorge from 1895, into “The Locker Room”. Tiled surfaces are reminiscent of the backstage areas familiar to tennis legends like René Lacoste and athletes worldwide. Misted, curved glass walls and cascading shower curtains create a voyeuristic scene in which the boundaries between private ritual and public spectacle are blurred.
This season unfolds as a sensual homage to sport, a passion for self-overcoming that connects players and spectators alike. The collection plays with the appeal of the incomplete: an unbuttoned tennis polo, a loose tracksuit, fleeting moments that evade the tyranny of perfection. Players take off their sweaty outfits and step into a new lightness and elegance.
Lacoste’s rich sporting heritage forms the foundation, but raw authenticity evolves into sophistication – full of contrasts between transparency and opacity, comfort and fluidity, sporty sophistication and relaxed elegance.
Sensuality, unfinished proportions and a reinterpreted sporting heritage with vintage sportswear accents characterize an elegant, dynamic repertoire. Transparent polo shirts, mirror-shine leather, trench-like coats with the statement “Tennis for Everyone” and flowing tech silk nylon pieces meet rubberized cotton and nylon with a wet-look finish.
Shapes and materials emphasize versatility and athletic energy. Functional high-tech fabrics combine with modernized traditional materials and unconventional details inspired by the locker room: transparent organza reminiscent of shower curtains, shiny terry cloth in unexpected uses and reflective leather.
Each piece draws on the creativity of everyday life, a central element of Lacoste’s ongoing success. After introducing tailoring in her first collection for the house, Pelagia Kolotouros continues this line with sensual, wide silhouettes and reinterpreted polo shirts. The oversized styles in sheer nylon are paired with airy constructions or flowy trousers with a vintage sportswear vibe.
The iconic Lacoste polo also appears in a new form: made of structured poplin or terry cloth, with statements such as “Tennis for Everyone” or “Only for Tennis”. Tropical wool and luxurious mohair meet specially dyed nylons and leather. Materials that combine comfort and the seductive power of transition.
This season the crocodile is inspired by lawn tennis. Fine embroidery celebrates French savoir-faire and the brand’s heritage, a new expression of the iconic symbol. The Lenglen bag also returns, with bold piping inspired by classic pleated skirts and handles reminiscent of tennis rackets.
The season’s color palette evokes nostalgia for vintage sportswear. Bright orange and deep archive blue meet elegant nuances of taupe, olive green and soft orange. This dynamic interplay creates athletic tension while remaining stylistically balanced, enhanced by delicate floral embroidery that celebrates the joy and triumphs experienced by the founder in tennis a century ago.
The Spring Summer 2026 collection sets a new benchmark for fashion intimacy. She captures that fleeting moment when victory meets vulnerability and legacy embraces the alluring beauty of unfinished elegance.