Samsonite and Lacoste joined forces in 2000, signing a worldwide license agreement for Lacoste leather goods.
Together, we have developed several successful lines of leather goods and travel items that reflect our shared values – innovation, dedication to quality, excellent craftsmanship and commitment to style. We are driving the growth of the Lacoste line by expanding our product assortment, extending our reach into new markets, and implementing our “shop-in-shop” program through which we use proprietary display structures to create dedicated areas for our Lacoste merchandise within major department stores throughout the world.
History of Lacoste
The Lacoste fashion empire was established in 1933, when tennis legend Renee Lacoste developed a line of high-quality shirts for tennis, golf and sailing. Like Samsonite, Lacoste was an innovator from the start. Where sports shirts of the time were made of woven material, Lacoste shirts were constructed of a lightweight knitted fabric that offered wearers superior comfort and mobility. Moreover, Lacoste emblazoned every article of clothing he produced with his personal symbol of a crocodile. Lacoste’s unconventional use of a logo on the outside of garments was a fashion first that quickly took hold and by 2006, more than 50 million Lacoste-branded items were sold annually in more than 160 countries.