Lacoste: Dressing up India with its unconventional style

It’s been in the forefront of global fashion revolution for over 70 years and now Lacoste, the popular lifestyle brand offering a wide range of apparel and accessories for men and women, is looking for a 50 per cent year-on-year growth for the

next few years. The brand has become fashionable, young and trendy with its wide collection of trendy fits, premium products and fabric innovations. Also on the cards is the launch of its home line in India but as Nilesh Jain, COO, Lacoste, says, “We don’t have plans to bring the collection for the next two years.” The brand’s latest product launch is Lacoste L!VE, the trendy, new brand from Lacoste which is a smart blend of originality and street art. It’s been launched with the aim of capturing the minds of young consumers who are not only aware of fashion trends across the world, but are also enthusiastic about blending culture and creativity along with fashion. For the season ahead, the brand has introduced its women’s collection offering polos, jeans, tops, dresses and winter accessories.

For the forthcoming autumn/winter, Lacoste L!VE will be introducing a vibrant collection in two themes. First is the Geometric Prints, 3d Relief Inspired Fall L!VE. This is more sport and street and encompasses a graphic game built around stereoscopic anaglypes, which are color filters that when stacked up create a 3D relief effect. The second is: Outdoor and Ivy League Inspired L!VE For Winter. This collection borrows from vintage and heritage inspirations which are thereafter combined with an outdoor atmosphere of hiking and exploring. This A/W, the Lacoste collection will be presented in three acts: College, Psychedelic Classic and English Weekend. “Every year select special editions are co-created by designers across the globe who interpret Lacoste’s elegance in their own creativity. This season we have come out with two to four special collections across our brand universe,” says Jain.

Even though kids’ wear has been part of the brand’s collection for a long time but it’s only over the last three seasons that Lacoste has started focusing on this fast growing market. The brand offers a wide collection for boys and girls consisting of polos, T-shirts, shirts, trousers, denims, skirts, dresses, jackets, sweaters and accessories. “The response is very encouraging and the category is growing at a phenomenal rate. Lacoste is positioned uniquely in the kids’ wear category as all kids’ wear brands in the category are positioned in the mass to premium category. No brand is offering the exclusivity of an affordable luxury brand,” Jain explains. The brand’s accessories line like eyewear, jewelry, perfumes and footwear has also been gaining ground in India. The casual style shoes and loafers as well as its leather collection are popular among the youth. “In winter we will offer accessories like mufflers, gloves, scarves, socks et al,” says Jain.

With the brand becoming more fashionable, young and trendy in its character, the change is now visible even in their marketing mix as well. With larger format boutiques offering a wide collection and a luxury shopping experience as opposed to smaller stores earlier. Available through over 32 retail points across India, the brand has been consciously focusing on large formats. Lacoste is available in select Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Central and Kapsons. It is contemplating more flagship stores in metros in the near future. As of now, it has at least one flagship store in key cities like, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Pune, with 1,500 sq. ft. boutiques in other key retail areas. The brand wants to expand in Delhi and Mumbai and is also interested in cities like Cochin, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Indore etc.