How many ways can one interpret the preppy tennis look? Season after season, Felipe Oliveira Baptista does just that, pushing the classic Lacoste label in the direction of urban-cool streetwear. For spring, he whisked his guests away to Capri, imagining a tennis match on the rooftop of the modernist Villa Malaparte.
For women, he showed chic terry cloth robes in a throwback to Brigitte Bardot in Jean-Luc Godard’s “Contempt,” as well as a sensual belted bustier dress, also in terry cloth, and belted maxidresses in chic-yet-sporty Seventies-inspired stripes. Baptista also updated the tennis skirt in a mesh polo dress with wide pleats, showed vibrant slickers that will brighten up any rainy day, and offered new interpretations of the label’s crocodile logo, including an enlarged crocodile graffiti print manipulated in halftone flat tints in a tribute to Andy Warhol.
For men, Baptista successfully revived some of the house classics — with a modern street spin. The traditional polo came in hooded styles, track pants were all high-waisted and the crocodile graffiti graphic appeared on sleeveless tops and shorts. While the streetwear influences felt very of the now, outerwear — from technical anoraks to slouchy trenches and floor-sweeping fleece hooded coats — ranked among the highlights. A dusty color palette of light greens, beiges and soft pinks gave the finishing touch to a collection ready for the endless summer lifestyle.