Great athletes inspire people, which is why companies often clamour to make their name a logo, a range or a sub-brand. But the athletes have one thing in common. They are all able-bodied athletes. No disabled athlete has ever had this privilege before. Lacoste and its agency, BETC, decided to turn the tide.

Lacoste has teamed up with quadri-amputee swimmer, Théo Curin, to create the very first collection bearing the name of a disabled athlete, intended for both able-bodied and disabled people.

Théo Curin, Louise Trotter, creative director of Lacoste, and her teams worked together to design a universal wardrobe. From the logo to each individual piece, every element is inspired by the life of this athlete – in particular his recent swim across Lake Titicaca, which marks the starting point of this new line.

“The fact that a brand like Lacoste asked me to set up a collaboration like this shows that things are still evolving in the right direction. What I liked is that I was involved in every step of the design: choice of products, colours, adaptations, etc. and also that it is a universal collection. I’m very proud of that,” Curin stated.

Beyond the style elements, special features were integrated into the design. The buttons being replaced by snaps, ties that allow the sleeves to be rolled up easily. This attention to detail, inspired by Curin’s daily life and developed in collaboration with Louise Trotter, makes it easier for people with disabilities to use these pieces while retaining Lacoste’s signature style and elegance.

“It was a joy and an honour to work with Théo on this unique project – he is an inspiration to us all and his enthusiasm and determination pushed us to new levels of creativity,”  Trotter commented.

To capture the creative process of developing the brand, BETC followed Théo Curin for a whole year, from his preparation for the Titicaca challenge to the design of his collection, resulting in an emotive 90-second film, that chronicles the adventure.

“It seems crazy that no disabled athlete has their own line of clothing bearing their name. When Alexandre Girod and Julien Vergne, the creatives, came to us with this concept, we immediately thought that this was exactly the idea needed to cement Lacoste’s partnership with Théo, and a way to celebrate his achievement by developing with him this unprecedented collection,” commented Aurélie Scalabre and Olivier Aumard, creative directors at BETC.

The Théo Curin collection became available from April 1 on Lacoste.com as well as in Lacoste stores across the globe.

Credits:

Client: Lacoste
Brand Management: Catherine Spindler, Nicolas Rakocevic, Louise Trotter & Stephanie Derrey

Ad Agency: BETC
Executive Creative Director: Remi Babinet 
Creative Directors: Aurélie Scalabre & Olivier Aumard
Art Director: Julien Vergne
Copywriter: Alexandre Girod 
Assistant Art Director: Mathis Payet
Account Management: Fanny Buisseret, Romain Cialdella & Theophile Geslain
Traffic Manager: Nathalie Sanseigne

Production Company: General POP
Director: Axel Delwarte
Sound Production: Axel Guenoun