When rain hits the court: Lacoste's fall/winter 2026 collection

On 31 July 1923, René Lacoste faced Spain's top-ranked player, Manuel de Gomar, in a Davis Cup tie in Deauville when a sudden downpour flooded the grass court. Spectators threw newspapers onto the surface to help it dry, while players and onlookers sheltered under umbrellas in trench coats, ponchos, slickers and rubber boots. The rain stretched the match over two days, but Lacoste won in four sets, sending France through to the final and setting the young player on the path that would make him a world champion.

That afternoon is the starting point for Lacoste's fall/winter 2026 collection. Creative director Pelagia Kolotouros builds the collection around the idea of souvenir, a memory of tension and resolve, of preparation and performance, and of what it takes to wait and win. Rather than focusing on the intensity of competition, she turns to the stands, exploring the moments around the match where spectator culture carries as much weight as what happens on court.

Outerwear built for the elements

Continuing a reworking of outerwear begun in previous seasons, Kolotouros develops the idea further through waterproofing and technical fabrication: the trench as a foundation piece, the poncho reimagined as an evolved polo, and bonded tech wool used as a shield against the weather. Padded, voluminous pieces appear in transparent nylon and in wet-look or reflective finishes, set alongside plush velvet and the soft tailoring of the house's René blazer. The crocodile emblem returns in new forms, worked into embroidery and badge treatments that reference the brand's archives.

A capsule with Mackintosh

The collection's Roots Collaboration pairs Lacoste with Mackintosh, the Scottish outerwear house founded in 1824 and known for its mastery of rubberised fabric. Mackintosh still produces its garments largely as it always has, hand-gluing and hand-taping its signature colour-matched, waterproofed cotton using techniques passed down since the 19th century.

The partnership produces a series of key silhouettes that push Lacoste's classics into new territory: a poncho polo, a rain-proof tracksuit, a pleated trench skirt and a hybrid track jacket shirt. Heritage patterns appear on technical fabrics, and cable-knit sweaters sit alongside high-performance nylon. The result is outerwear shaped by Mackintosh's methods while remaining unmistakably Lacoste. Largely gender-fluid, the collection's Neo-Tennis pieces draw on the energy of sport without being defined by it, designed to be worn everywhere without losing their appeal.

Accessories and colour palette

The collection's shape and texture follow what Lacoste calls tech-heritage, a mix of athletic and archival, performance and poetry. Fan favourites return, including weathered trophy pins, Grand Slam T-shirts, the house's iconic tracksuit and a digital watch on a stretch bracelet. The Lenglen bag reappears in new proportions, its urban-sporty shape finished with a silicone grip handle, while a racquet cover and tennis ball clutch are made in Mackintosh's technical fabrics.

The fall/winter palette shifts from cool to warm and from overcast to vivid. Cool greys, inky heathers and dark wet metals run through the base fabrics, while Agave Green recalls grass after a downpour and Rusty Red nods to the clay of Roland-Garros, hurriedly covered against sudden rain.

For Lacoste, the collection reflects what a young René Lacoste must have understood as he left that flooded court: that the real game is not only a battle between opponents, but an ongoing dialogue between the body and the elements.