L for Lacoste: the story of a monogram
Originally launched for leather goods, the Lacoste monogram now features on crocodile must-haves. Here's a look back at a crazy trend... and the secrets of its success.
Lacoste Monogram
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Design inspired by the work of Robert George...
In the 1930s, Robert George was René Lacoste's creative sidekick. A prolific artist and designer, he came up with the crocodile and hundreds of elegant motifs that would cover Lacoste's chicest pieces for decades. If the monogram we know today has a sweet vintage flavour, it's because it was directly inspired by one of Robert George's Art Deco designs around the Lacoste "L". Simple and graphic, it has been masterfully repeated... and continues to move the lines.
Original painting on paper by Robert George, from 1975.
Dimensions: Length 22cm and Width 15cm.
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The optical illusion
Behind the endlessly repeated "L" lies another motif that, to the untrained eye, may appear invisible. It's a grid that reveals itself when the entire design is tilted slightly. The inspiration for this backdrop? The "petit piqué", the knit of the iconic polo shirt. Depending on the material chosen to display the Lacoste monogram, the entire design creates a play of different textures and structures, adding an elegant and sophisticated visual depth that goes beyond simple branding.
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From leather goods to collections for men, women and children
The "L", which was initially the outcome of a creative exploration for Lacoste leather goods is now everywhere: embroidered, printed or jacquard-style, it has become a new crocodile symbol, from clothes to household linen, from perfumes to watches. Tone on tone or dyed in bright colours. Iconic green, black and white or metallic effect, its linear design, part vintage, part magical, is a new source of graphic inspiration whose elegant - and innovative - aura continues to shine.
