Lacoste Logo PNG
The Lacoste logo symbolizes the luxury, elitism, and exclusivity of the company’s products. Brand customers will always stand out from the crowd.
Lacoste: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1933 |
| Founder: | Rene Lacoste, Andre Gillier |
| Headquarters: | Troyes, France |
| Website: | lacoste.com |
Meaning and History
The brand is directly linked to a dispute between tennis star René Lacoste and the captain of the French Davis Cup team. They bet on a crocodile leather suitcase that the tennis player saw in one of Boston’s showcases. He couldn’t afford it, so he made a bet: if Lacoste won, the other side would buy him the suitcase. However, luck did not smile on the athlete, and the crocodile suitcase remained an unattainable dream.
Therefore, when the company was launched, a crocodile appeared on the brand’s logo, based on René Lacoste’s nickname. His friends called him “crocodile” for his aggressive playing style and persistence in “crushing” his opponent on the tennis court until a crushing score. However, later, due to this symbolism, the company was involved in a legal scandal, which ended with the reconciliation of the parties and an agreement to change brand names.
The Hong Kong company Crocodile Garments, a manufacturer of sports clothing, also claimed the disputed emblem. This misunderstanding began in the 1990s when the company tried to enter the Chinese market. But on the Lacoste logo, registered in France in 1933, the crocodile looks to the right, while on the Garments logo, registered in Asia in the 1940s-1950s, it is turned to the left.
What is Lacoste?
This company was founded by the famous tennis player René Lacoste, nicknamed “The Crocodile” for his persistence on the court. It began its history by releasing the first polo shirt adorned with an embroidered crocodile. Today, the brand is known for its clothing, footwear, accessories, and fragrances that combine comfort and style. The company has maintained its connection to its sporting roots, becoming a symbol of French elegance in everyday fashion and gaining popularity among athletes and fans of comfortable clothing worldwide.
1933 – 1984
The original version featured a crocodile identical to a real one. It has brown skin with gray-orange spots and black shadows. The tail has sharp spikes, and the mouth is wide open.
1984 – 2002
In 1984, the French company created a logo with a green crocodile and a red mouth. Under the image of the animal is the inscription “Lacoste,” in bold capital letters.
2002 – 2011
After the turn of the millennium, the designers changed the ratio of the graphic and textual parts, making the crocodile smaller.
2011 – today
In the current logo, the brand name is written in a thin sans-serif font.
Lacoste: Interesting Facts
Lacoste is a famous clothing brand from France, known for its crocodile picture on its clothes.
- How It Started: A French tennis player, René Lacoste, and André Gillier started Lacoste in 1933. René got the nickname “the Crocodile” because he was very determined when he played tennis. They put a crocodile logo on their clothes, a new idea back then.
- The Polo Shirt: René Lacoste made the first modern polo shirt to make playing tennis more comfortable. It was shorter and had a collar, which was different from the long-sleeved shirts players wore before.
- More Than Tennis: Lacoste didn’t stop at tennis. They now make shoes, glasses, watches, and even perfumes for everyone.
- Who Owns Lacoste: A company from Switzerland called Maus Frères bought Lacoste. They wanted to make Lacoste more popular around the world.
- Helping the Planet: Lacoste is trying to be more eco-friendly. They made shirts from recycled plastic bottles and even changed their crocodile logo to pictures of endangered animals to help raise money for them.
- Working With Others: Lacoste has teamed up with designers and artists to make special clothes that mix classic and new styles.
- Lacoste in Culture: Lacoste clothes are popular and symbolize a stylish, easy-going lifestyle.
- New Ideas: Lacoste continues to develop new materials and technology for its clothes to make them more comfortable and eco-friendly.
- Worldwide Love: Lacoste is available in about 120 countries, and people worldwide like its clothes.
- Tennis Roots: Lacoste is closely connected to the Roland-Garros French Open, which shows its long love for tennis.
Lacoste is more than just clothes; it’s about comfortable style and a love for tennis.
Font and Colors
The brand name appeared thanks to René Lacoste’s nickname and was initially only on the athletes’ tennis shirts. Robert George developed it in 1926. The athlete wore a personal logo on his blazer. But after creating La Chemise Lacoste with André Gillier, the head of the knitwear business, they began using the crocodile image across the entire clothing line. For ten years, the crocodile symbol belonged to the company Izod, but later, Lacoste managed to regain its reputation and restore the brand.
After the legal dispute between Lacoste and the sewing and textile factory Crocodile Garments, its appearance changed slightly due to the same emblem. As a result of the legal proceedings, the crocodile’s image was adjusted: now it has an almost parallel tail, large spots on the skin, and small eyes. The opponent also corrected the trademark: the reptile’s tail is raised vertically, the skin is smooth, and the eyes are large.
The Lacoste logo uses a proprietary font with slightly rounded capital letters. The color palette consists of green (crocodile), white (spots, eyes), and red (mouth). Usually, the animal is depicted on a light background, but there are also reverse cases: a white crocodile in a green rectangle.
Lacoste color codes
| Evergreen | Hex color: | #004526 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 69 38 | |
| CMYK: | 100 0 45 73 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 3425 C |
| Medium Candy Apple Red | Hex color: | #db0026 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 219 0 38 | |
| CMYK: | 0 100 83 14 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Bright Red C |
| Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
| CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |
FAQ
What Does the Lacoste Logo Mean?
The crocodile in the Lacoste logo personifies René Lacoste, after whom the brand is named. This is because the tennis player had the nickname “Crocodile.”
How to Identify a Fake Lacoste Logo?
The quality of the embroidery can determine the authenticity of the Lacoste logo. A fake lacks finely drawn claws and teeth, the tail is pointed in the wrong direction, and the eye is round. Besides, the crocodile should only be on a white background.
Why is the Lacoste Logo a Crocodile?
The Lacoste logo is associated with the nickname of its founder, tennis player René Lacoste. In one of the matches, he bet on a luxurious crocodile leather suitcase. As a result, the press dubbed him “Alligator,” and then René was called “Crocodile.”
Which Brand is Represented by an Alligator Logo?
One might say that the Lacoste logo features an alligator, but this is not the case – the main symbol is a crocodile. These reptiles belong to different species.
