Lacoste Limited Edition Crocodile Mythology

By Samantha Chow Jia Ern, http://malaysia.msn.com, Updated: 7/16/2009

Commemorating the story of how the brand started, the new collection by Lacoste celebrates the legend of the brand’s founder Rene Lacoste and the mythologies surrounding the crocodile.

It all began in 1925 when Rene Lacoste made a bet with Pierre Gillou, the French Davis Team Captain to win the next Davis Cup match, the prize being a crocodile skin suitcase in Boston. Rene Lacoste did not win, but a local journalist wrote about the match saying, “The young Lacoste has not won his Crocodile skin suitcase but he fought like a real crocodile”. The nickname stuck and the crocodile emblem was adopted by Rene Lacoste, who embroidered the logo onto the outside pocket of his jacket, creating a new legendary brand logo.

This new collection includes two new shoes – Missouri Albino and Rene Lacoste Japan.

Missouri Albino is inspired by the myth of the sacred Lake Venda shared by a python and an albino crocodile, where virgin Venda maidens offered themselves to the lake to receive a fertility blessing. In honour of the Albino Crocodile, the Missouri’s upper made is of different white coloured materials. The traditional clothing of the Venda tribe inspires the bright colour pops on the in-sock, sole and surround of the shoe top.

Rene Lacoste Japan is inspired by the story of a blind man who was saved from drowning by an enormous crocodile. The traditional Japanese silk kimono is the main theme for this design, whereas the upper fabric of the shoe has a satin feel while the print is a digital interpretation of a crocodile skin print.The Missouri Albino is priced at RM569, and is currently available at Sole What?, The Gardens. Rene Lacoste (price currently unavailable) will be on sale at Sole What? by end July.

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