Dive Brief:
- Lacoste released a women’s apparel collaboration with activewear retailer Bandier this week, featuring a blend of tennis-inspired separates and accessories.
- The line is available through both brands’ e-commerce and brick-and-mortar shops, and prices range from $70 for a cap to $180 for a hoodie. The collection, which will eventually feature more than 100 pieces, is also available at select retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, ShopBop and Nordstrom, with new drops expected monthly through December 15, according to WWD.
- The two companies have a brand relationship dating back to 2021, per the Lacoste website, and Bandier has been a retail partner with Lacoste before. However, this is the first time the two firms have collaborated on a line.
Dive Insight:
The companies first connected when Jennifer Bandier, founder of the eponymous store, met the Lacoste team at a tennis tournament in Paris. The resulting collection of clothes released this month reflect the crossover of Bandier’s New York sensibilities and Lacoste’s European roots, offering a mix of sweats and hoodies blended with traditional tennis skirts and dresses. Jeweltone colorways of purple and green are matched with khaki and white, while pops of black and occasional reds and pinks also feature.
This has been a big year for Lacoste collaborations. The brand rolled out a collection with Sporty & Rich in May, and in April it debuted a new collection with streaming service Netflix, which built on its already successful product placement at the network.
Lacoste has been particularly well-positioned in 2023 to take advantage of the ongoing tennis fashion trend, given its status as a heritage brand in the space. The company is owned by family-run Swiss holding company Maus Frères SA, which also owns Gant and the Kooples. Lacoste also launched its own virtual store this summer, offering special perks to Lacoste NFT holders, such as limited-edition merchandise.
Meanwhile, Lacoste CEO Thierry Guibert told the WSJ earlier this year he was looking to acquire other upmarket brands in an effort to duplicate the success of Lacoste, which Maus Frères bought in 2012.
Luxury athleisure retailer Bandier, which first opened in Southampton, New York, in 2014, has been expanding its business in recent years, including a $34 million funding investment in 2019, and a move to sell its products on Amazon in 2021. The company has stores in California, New York and Texas.
