Jean René Lacoste was a French tennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" because of how he dealt with his opponents; he is also known worldwide as the creator of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929, and eventually founded the brand and its logo in 1933.
Lacoste wearing his signature insignia, c. 1926
Lacoste in 1922
Lacoste (right) with Otto Froitzheim
Lacoste S.A. is a luxury sports fashion French company, founded in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste, and entrepreneur André Gillier. It sells clothing, footwear, sportswear, eyewear, leather goods, perfume, towels and watches. The company can be recognised by its green Crocodile logo. René Lacoste, the company's founder, was first given the nickname "the Crocodile" by the American press after he bet his team captain a crocodile-skin suitcase that he would win his match. He was later redubbed "the Crocodile" by French fans because of his tenacity on the tennis court. In November 2012, Lacoste was bought outright by Swiss family-held group Maus Frères.
Flagship store on the Champs-Élysées
A Lacoste retail store in Delaware, United States
Lacoste dress.
Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, who has captured the most grand slams of any player under Lacoste