Lacoste under Pelagia Kolotouros has always been drawn to the moments outside the spotlight—the previous season peered into the locker room intimacy—and for Fall/Winter 2026, the creative director trains her lens on a rain-soaked day, at René Lacoste’s Davis Cup match in 1923, where a deluge turned the court muddy and stretched the game across two days. The collection is not paying tribute for tribute’s sake, but more of an excavation of what that day felt like—the umbrellas huddled together, the trench coats buttoned against the chill, the newspapers unfurled across the sodden turf.
Kolotouros is not interested in a straightforward retelling of the event. Instead, the creative lead spun the suspended moment into a poetic show—a meditation on patience, on the peculiar intimacy of spectator culture, and on what it means to wait. Those attuned to the sports-fashion nexus will know how this pivot makes perfect sense for the fashion house. The Greek-American designer has been building towards this moment—her previous collections teased a fascination with outerwear. And for this season, waterproofing and technical fabrication are now part of the collection. While in many cases, outerwear tends to be an afterthought, for this outing it became the foundation.
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The legendary Philippe Chatrier court played host to the spectacle. Guests such as Taylor Zakhar Perez, Wang Yibo, Kai, Heart Evangelista, Davika Hoorne, and more were not just watching from the sidelines; they were, in fact, part of the show, seated as though the match had been paused mid-rally, the air still thick with the scent of damp clay and anticipation. When the first few looks emerged, the crowd leaned in. Drop-waisted raincoats partnered with Mackintosh walked us back to the 1920s in a snap. Later, the lovechild of a track jacket and a pleated tennis skirt made an entrance. The legendary Scottish outerwear house has been perfecting waterproof cotton since the 1820s, and from full skirts to polo shirts, these pieces are living examples of a successful collaboration. These hybrids—rainproof tracksuits and coats in relaxed silhouettes—add to the “tech-heritage” approach, where Lacoste’s athleticism and modern functionality set the tone for everything that followed.
The palette was a weather system unto itself, mirroring a storm passing over clay. Cool greys, inky heathers, and dark wet metals—colours of an overcast sky—deepened across the fabrics, slowly making way for a burst of Agave Green, vivid as drenched grass, along with the Rusty Red with a blush of pink that evoked Roland-Garros’ clay courts. This juxtaposition played out across the collection, where plush velvet and the soft tailoring of the emblematic René blazer go head-to-head with voluminous nylon pieces in wet or reflective finishes. Poncho polos, shielded with tech wool too, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with knitwear that cosied up to high-performance nylons.
And then there were the accessories—the show’s delightful curveballs. Already a crowd favourite among the fashion cognoscenti, the Lenglen bag stole the spotlight, returning this season in new proportions. The star of the show is now cloaked in transparent nylon like a raincoat, with a silicone grip handle added for a tactile flourish, nodding to the collection’s weather-beaten inspiration. The silhouette—urban and sporty, nostalgic yet forward– looking—felt equally at home on the courtside or cutting through a cityscape. The quirky racquet cover and tennis ball clutch, both crafted with Mackintosh’s signature rubberised fabric, were the scene-stealers, offering a playful twist on archival motifs.
Footwear followed suit, with chunky-soled boots and trainers wrapped in waterproof nylon and reflective finishes, ready to weather the storm. Umbrellas adorned aptly with crocodile-snout handles, sou’wester hats, timeworn trophy pins, and digital watches with stretch bracelets expanded the brand’s vocabulary, cementing the brand’s prevalence in the identity of being crowned the “Neo-Tennis”. These nods to fan culture wittily top sportswear with a sentimental layer, conjuring a world where the game’s spirit goes beyond the players on the court and seeps into everyday life—on the street, on the court, and everywhere in between.
The collection captures the breath held between pauses, the tension of a rain-delayed match, and the elements that hold all the cards. It’s a perspective that transforms sportswear into something more contemplative and, in a way, more alive. Like a visualised weather report, this show lingers in the mind as a reminder that the fashion this sport inspires must also carry the same mindset: preparation, patience, and the graceful surrender to forces beyond our control. These are the qualities—quiet, unglamorous, rarely sung about— that should define not just the designs but also the house itself. And before you flip to the next page, don’t forget to check the weather and bring your umbrella along.
This story first appeared in the GRAZIA Malaysia October 2026 print issue.
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