Louise Trotter for Lacoste

LOUISE TROTTER, PRESIDENT OF THE FASHION PANEL
Louise Trotter is first woman to take charge of the artistic direc- tion of Lacoste since it was foun- ded in 1933 by René Lacoste. She is also President of the fashion panel for the 36th International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Fashion Accessories of Hyères. What can we expect? Appointed artistic director of Lacoste in October 2018, the British-born Louise Trotter brings her easy-to wear mini- malist elegance to the crocodile brand, filling her designs with subtle references to the House legacy. Whetting her appetite for androgynous lines, she has honed her radical approach and her love of streetwear codes to bring Lacoste to the cutting edge between fashion and sport.

Does that define her personal style? The designer learned the ropes at Whistles, Calvin Klein, GAP and Tommy Hilfiger before bringing her elegant touch to the Joseph label for nine years, so she perfectly masters the elements of generous, versatile ready-to- wear. Within three years, she
has developed a Lacoste look featuring graphic touches and
juxtapositions of solid colours for an instantly recognisable look.

TEAM SPIRIT
Her strength? An acute appre- ciation for a job well done, passed along by her parents.
Growing up in the working-class city of Sunderland in the north of England, she formed an eye for contrast, such as that between the seaside and the surrounding Brutalist architecture. From an early age, she cultivated her tenacity and assiduity, never he- sitating to go back to the drawing board to question and improve a project. She could not conceive of such work other than as a team, one of the key Lacoste values.
“I believe in collective work. I love team spirit and the idea of wor- king in positive energy.”
— Louise Trotter
Louise Trotter nominated the seven personalities of the Festival’s fashion panel, which she will pre- side this year, with this dynamic
in mind.

A PANEL IN THE SPIRIT OF A COLLECTIVE
Energetic, far-reaching and di- verse. The panel that Louise Trot- ter selected for this edition of the Festival mingles wellestablished figures with young talents who have emerged from the Lacoste galaxy. Among the members are the artist and designer Helen Kirkum, a pioneer of deconstruc- tion in the trainer industry who had the opportunity to produce upcycled models for Lacoste. The panel also includes the dancer and choreographer Léo Walk, co-founder of the brand Walk in Paris and a Lacoste ambassador who has designed a capsule col- lection for the snappy brand. Also joining the crew is the model and poet Sonny Hall, who has already posed for the House, along with the multi-disciplinary artist William Farr, known for his floral installations. Other members are Suzanne Koller, co-founder of the magazine self service and fashion director of M, the magazine of Le Monde, who has also designed for Lacoste fashion shows; Ibrahim Kamara, chief editor of the ma- gazine Dazed; Rubah Abu-Nimah, former artistic director of the US version of the magazine Elle and the new artistic director of Tiffany & Co; Alfredo Canducci, founder of System Preferences; Cho Gi Seok, artist and fashion photographer; and Tom Van Der Borght, winner of the Première Vision Grand Jury Prize last year. What better than a collective to express the views of the next generation ?

IN SITU RETROSPECTIVE
At villa Noailles, a space entirely designed by Louise Trotter and Lacoste will exhibi the works, projects and reflections of the personalities from the fashion panel and the Lacoste ecosystem. From a one-off shoe design by Helen Kirkum to a dance video projection featuring Léo Walk, this array of visual and plastic artwork highlights the collective creative vision of Louise Trotter.