Artisanship and an unrivalled level of fine detailing led René Lacoste to his first major invention, the iconic L.12.12 polo shirt. The creation took a remarkable 12 attempts to perfect unveiling a new fabric that would set a fresh platform for performance, sporting style and prowess – the breathable and unruffled petit piqué. This approach, along with excellence in design and a clean monochrome aesthetic, has remained a powerful, relevant and consistent theme since the birth of LACOSTE and is the inspiration for the new L.12.12 footwear collection. The L.12.12 footwear collection pays subtle homage to its founder and breaths new life into those core values. The L.12.12 shoe emotively captures a unique heritage with a twist of modernity for today’s stylish gentleman using the breathable luxury of the piqué as well as featuring punched detailing and net. René Lacoste’s look was immaculate on courts. Crisp, clean whites gave an unruffled and determined appearance, a sophisticated and impactful gracefulness that he kept as a theme off court. This confident, but equally elegant aesthetic has been carried into the L.12.12 footwear collection. Subtle, stylish and with its core heritage values incorporated, the capsule collection features clean, definitive contours in bold, statement white. Sporting lines suggesting athleticism and performance, presented in a clean luxury fabric that stood the test of match-play and remained smart in appearance ensures that René’s style and elegance is still as relevant today. Making the boldest of fashion statements with the timeless monochrome trend, the capsule footwear collection is inspired by a long fruitful history that carries such impactful, yet effortless styling, through the use of multiple colours synonymous with the heritage of the brand. As well as the staple monochrome white shoe, the L.12.12 footwear collection broadens with a palette that lends itself to be worn for any occasion. Block red, green and blue take an effortless move away from the courts for a more casual appearance and can be teamed with summer shorts or short-cut trousers and finished with the iconic LACOSTE polo shirt. The grey and black options present an option to wear from day into night with the clear definitive lines giving a sophisticated but casual character.