Lacoste

Jean René Lacoste (July 2, 1904 - October 12, 1996) was a French tennis player and businessman, nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his pugnacity on court; he is now known primarily as the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929.

Lacoste was one of The Four Musketeers, French tennis stars who dominated the game in the 1920s and early 1930s. He won seven Grand Slam singles titles in the French, American, and British championships but never made the long trip to Australia to play in their championships. He was the world number one player for both 1926 and 1927.

In 1933, Lacoste founded La Société Chemise Lacoste with André Gillier. The company produced the tennis shirt which Lacoste often wore when he was playing, which had an alligator (generally thought to be a crocodile) embroidered on the chest. In 1963, Lacoste created a sensation in racquet technology by patenting the first tubular steel tennis racquet. Until then, racquets had almost always been made of wood. This new racquet's strings were attached to the frame by a series of wires, which wrapped around the racquet head. The racquet was marketed in Europe under the Lacoste brand, but in the United States it was marketed by Wilson Sporting Goods and achieved critical acclaim and huge popularity as the Wilson T-2000, used by American tennis great Jimmy Connors.

In his 1979 autobiography, Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Lacoste in his list of the 21 greatest players of all time.

There are numerous explanations of why Lacoste was originally nicknamed the Crocodile. A 2006 New York Times obituary about Lacoste's son, Bernard, provides an apparently authoritative one. In the 1920s, supposedly, Lacoste made a bet with his team captain about whether he would win a certain match. The stakes were a suitcase he had seen in a Boston store; it was made of crocodile (or alligator) skin. Later, René Lacoste's friend Robert George embroidered a crocodile onto a blazer that Lacoste wore for his matches.

G- Star at Lapel.

From its conception in 1989, G-Star has been known for its innovative and cutting edge style in the world of denim. Pushing the boundaries, continuous experimentation and product development, has led to a strong following worldwide. The rough, rudimentary, and raw characteristics of the bran allows G-Star to maintain its distinct and unorthodox style.

"Just the product" has always been G-Star's philosophy and market approach. The development of the innovative products like Raw Denim, which has had a major influence on the jeans market, was a natural consequence. Since the permiere of Raw Denim in 1996, G-Star has broadened its conecpt to include a newer, edgier image, appealing to all styles, trends and ages while keeping the product in its purest form. Authentic details and functional attributes give the collection a strong sense of identity.

Innovation and perfection of the product are imperative to G-Star. Each season, the jeans-oriented collection serves as the basis of the line, while authentic details and innovative washings are added. The bran has seen multiple breakthroughs in the past few years and continues to reach out to many different markets around the world.

The G-Star brand is a style of all times. Futuristic and cautious. Far-reaching and experimental. Alternative and traditional. G-Star is about making eccentric combinations, and maintaning authenticity. Never one to follow the crowd. Just the product.

Fila at Lapel Clothing!

Fila has produced a short film using the brand’s ambassadors, Danny Dyer and Tamer Hassan aimed to attract cult fans of the actors and the brand as well as creating a buzz for a wider audience. The gangster style film, focuses on the new pre-distressed footwear style, Centre Court, and reveals the product within a clever twist in the final scenes.

Produced by Red Bee Media and directed by Marcus Jones, the short film was shot on location at famous East London haunt, The George Tavern, and surrounding gritty backstreets.

Centre Court, the first of a collection of trainers which have been aged carefully to replicate a perfectly loved and lived in trainer from the 80’s, are the focus for the plot in the film and Dyer and Hassan’s ‘mission’.

The tagline, ‘Fila - We break them in for you… Get the Look Without the Effort’ summarises the carefully scuffed and discoloured aesthetic of each trainer.

The viral film will also be entered into a variety of industry short film festivals. The film supports a key Vintage style within their most comprehensive collection to date and is a testament to Fila’s firm grasp on everything retro.

So if you want a taste of Fila, then head over to Lapelcothing.co.uk and check us out!