Lacoste National Geographic Collaboration

The exciting, limited edition Lacoste National Geographic collaboration celebrates the beauty of the natural world.

Inspiration

The central inspiration for this exclusive capsule collection comes from the ambitious National Geographic Photo Ark project.

Led by award-winning photographer and National Geographic Fellow Joel Sartore, the Photo Ark is a long-term effort to document every species living in the world’s zoos, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries. The project, and in turn this new collaboration, aims to celebrate the diversity and splendour of the animal kingdom.

To craft this collection, Lacoste meticulously combed Sartore’s existing archive of over 10,500 species. Lacoste finally decided to spotlight four key animals, chosen for their vibrant stories and exceptional beauty: the Grévy’s Zebra (Equus grevyi), the Green and Black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus), the Halloween Pennant Dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) and the Jaguar (Panthera onca).

Across the collection, the dazzling coats and scales of these four species are interpreted as graphics and prints. Watch as the croc goes stripey like the zebra, or speckled like the dart frog.  Wearers can wrap themselves in the mesmerising wing of the Dragonfly, with its hypnotic, delicate cross-connecting lines. Why not adopt the spots of the Jaguar or stand out in the monochromatic stripes of the zebra?

Education

As with all things National Geographic, education is paramount. Every garment within the collection comes with a special hangtag detailing information about the relevant species.

Interestingly, most Poisonous Dart Frogs aren’t poisonous at all. And the Halloween Pennant Dragonfly gets its name from its orange wings and isn’t spooky at all. Did you know that the spots of the Jaguar are called rosettes? And while Leopards also have spots, only the Jaguar has spots inside its spots?

Customers with an eye for detail will quickly spot clever yellow touches celebrating the design of the National Geographic magazine. On the necklines of polos and sweaters, a bold yellow stripe recalls the magazine’s cheerful borders. Toggles on jackets are also rendered in bold yellow, while all fastenings are branded.

The Collection

The broad collection combines Lacoste’s timeless silhouettes and celebrated fits in tops and sweaters with a diverse range of bags, sunglasses, trainers and underwear.

Firstly, classic t-shirts in red and navy come with customised printed croc motifs.

For those who are a little bolder – a polo, available in two separate fits for men and women, comes entirely covered in bold Jaguar, Zebra and Frog prints. So too do bags; an elegant, roomy tote comes with rosettes, while a classic backpack, available in three prints, is ideal for those on the go.

Similarly, sunglasses boast playful printed frames. Boxers, on the other hand, come decorated with a splattering of crocs, each customised to recall one of the collection’s four hero animals.

Also, nodding to the way animals transform and camouflage, the padded jacket, available in Dragonfly and Frog prints, is reversible, changing effortlessly from energetic animal print to classic navy.

The Gagnant is a special trainer and a twist on the classic René shoe. It comes with a Zebra-printed croc motif on the outer and an eye-catching Zebra striped lining and insole.

Finally, for children, society’s instinctive animal lovers, there is a sweatshirt with a giant crocodile in Zebra stripes or Jaguar spots.

Eco-Responsible

The Lacoste National Geographic Collaboration collection brings to life the beauty of the jungle, forest, grasslands and waters. This ambitious collaboration is a celebration of all that is important and magical in nature, and a tribute to the breath-taking creativity found across species, and our planet.  Of course, it is also a call to action to remind us all of the importance of conservation.

It is for this reason that all the materials within this collection are eco-responsible. From the recycled polyester of the bags to the organic cotton of the polos and the natural rubber outsoles on footwear, all have been certified sustainable and recycled.

The Lacoste x National Geographic collection is available in all Lacoste Boutiques countrywide.

Images courtesy of www.lacoste.com