The Legend of Rene Lacoste

The legend of how the crocodile came to symbolise Lacoste is a long one. The abbreviated version suggests that tennis star and founder of Lacoste - Rene Lacoste - played for the title of the Davies cup in 1925 'fought like a crocodile' and lost, but in losing he never lost his spirit. Instead he gained the nickname 'Crocodile' and took the reptile as his emblem, it is this spirit that has come to represent the Lacoste ethos.

Lacoste are set to release nine exclusive designs that reference the mythologies of the crocodile, three each in May, June and July 2009. Revan NYC plays on the 'old wives tales' of crocodiles being bought home from Florida to New York, having been flushed into the sewers by irresponsible owners once the creatures have outgrown surroundings, forced to scratch an existence in the tunnels beneath the city. Tennis Africa awards protection to a little girl called Marama mis-treated by her evil step-mother (who perishes under the claws of the same crocodile). Tennis Polynesia is a half-man, half-crocodile made from a piece of brown wood, direct descendants of a tribe in Papa New Guinea.

For more tales and stockists information you can visit Lacoste.