For Spring/Summer 2027, Lacoste returned to its roots at Roland-Garros, challenging longstanding tennis fashion norms. Creative Director Pelagia Kolotouros unveiled the collection titled "Dress Code: No White Required," which sought to deconstruct the traditional attire associated with the sport.
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The show took place on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where Kolotouros drew inspiration from past players who defied fashion conventions. René Lacoste, in the 1920s, was known for cutting the sleeves off his shirts to enhance movement, while Suzanne Lenglen challenged restrictive women's attire with her adoption of shorter skirts and lighter fabrics. The SS27 collection aimed to embody a "quiet rebellion," balancing rule-breaking with respect for the game.
The stage was transformed with ochre-colored clay, echoing the French Open's surface, which influenced the collection’s color palette. Earthy tones such as browns, taupe, and olive were complemented by vibrant accents in violet and tennis-ball yellow.
Traditional elements like polos and shorts were reinvented through changes in proportion and style. Oversized outerwear and wide-legged trousers were featured alongside relaxed tailoring. The designs appeared creased and puckered, mimicking the wear-and-tear of a challenging match. Techniques using heat and steam altered the fabric, giving garments a distressed finish, while some items bore mottled, sweat-like marks.
The collection also incorporated tennis white, only to be whimsically stained with ochre, suggesting that models had tumbled across clay courts in their outfits. Footwear further embraced tennis motifs, with the ACE-T1 integrating fuzzy tennis ball designs into the sole structure, and a mix of sneaker and pump styles using vibrant colors and metallic finishes, shifting away from classic performance aesthetics.
Lacoste's connection to tennis remains strong, but Kolotouros emphasizes innovation over mere replication. The collection plays with the traditional polo, relaxed tailoring, and the transformation of white into something unexpected, pushing the boundaries of tennis apparel.