Titled “The Locker Room,” Lacoste’s latest captures the art of in-between moments—when athletes cool down and gather their composure before and after a match.
Lacoste has long mastered the perfect serve and scoring the match point in luxury sportswear. For Spring/Summer 2026, creative director Palagia Kolotouros extends the brand’s winning streak from the hard court to the comfort and intimacy of locker rooms.
For Lacoste’s exhibition at the recent Paris Fashion Week, Kolotouros showcased a completely wearable lineup weaved around founder René Lacoste’s early training years, specifically when athletes cool down after triumph or defeat in a quiet state of vulnerability. The result is a collection that explores the moments between private ritual and public spectacle.
The show was held inside Lycée Carnot’s Hall Eiffel, which Kolotouros reimagined as “The Locker Room.” She filled the 1895 glass-and-iron structure with steamed glass panels, shower curtains, and towel stacks for seating, creating a space that blurs the line between sports facility and art installation.
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For Lacoste’s Spring 2026 collection, Kolotouros focused her attention on moments before and after a big match, when athletes both shed their uniforms and gather their composure. The Greek-American designer translated that in the collection through ease, texture, and transparency.
Relaxed and casual styling was reflected in unbuttoned tennis polos and half-zipped tracksuits that Kolotouros described as updated versions of the timeless garments “but still resonates with the consumer because it’s not out of the wheelhouse of Lacoste.” Towels were wrapped around the waists, polos and jackets were reimagined in sheer, while rob-like tranches draped over wide-leg trousers in wool or mohair. Robe-like tranches draped over wide-leg trousers. All these make for a comfortable and accessible lineup that defies the precision and perfection of sports.
Kolotouros played with proportion and material, function and fluidity in reflective leather coats and oversized outerwear. Vintage sportswear is reinterpreted through contemporary lens, as seen in several wet-look nylon pieces, as well the crisp poplin shirts and terry pieces stamped with “Only for Tennis” and “Tennis for Everyone.”
Kolotourus continued the brand’s pursuit of freedom, lightness, and effortless sophistication in slouchy silhouettes and delicate floral embroidery referencing René Lacoste’s view of the game as a source of joy rather than pressure. The collection’s color palette felt both fresh and current, with the designer pairing signature green, striking orange, and zingy blue with olive, taupe, and soft neutrals.
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Completing the collection is the brand’s iconic crocodile logo that Kolotourus reimagined in grass-green embroidery inspired by tennis courts. Another icon, the Lenglen bag, was meanwhile reinvented with pleated details and racket-grip handles.
In every piece, Kolotourus translated René Lacoste’s timeless flair with a modern, high-end approach. The collection shows that there is glamour and elegance in the quiet and calm aftermath of a game.
Watch the full Lacoste Spring 2026 show below.
