The Locker Room as Stage

Lacoste's Spring/Summer 2026 show unfolds not on a traditional runway but in the symbolic space of a locker room—“The Locker Room”—a setting that sets the tone for a collection that oscillates between vigor and ease, sport and recovery. The venue (Lycée Carnot, ornate and academic) becomes more than a backdrop-it echoes the formative years of René Lacoste, the intensity of competition, and the quiet moment when the game is done. Designers often lean into heritage; Kolotouros uses hers to build tension, intimacy, and identity.

Kolotouros taps into Lacoste's legacy—the iconic tennis crest, the polo shirt, the ethos of motion—but refreshes it. The collection pulls from "FOR TENNIS USE ONLY" badges, court-based graphics, and references to archival prints and Tennis Guide diagrams. But the better trick is how these athletic signifiers are relaxed, undone, or recontextualized—sheer overlays, towel fabrics, reflective leathers, and organza reminiscent of "shower curtains" or changing room curtains. It's sporty, yes—but not strictly performance. There’s an atmosphere: the space where one peels off the exertion as much as one considers the prize.

Where Lacoste SS26 shines is in its color play and material contrasts. There is a saturation of reds, oranges, greens, blues—bright enough for energy, yet balanced by beiges, whites, and reflective tones, giving breathing points. Textures oscillate between hard and soft: slick leather coats, structured suiting, and then garments in terry cloth or shimmering organza. Towelling, reflective finishes, cable knits, all appear alongside transparent pieces, giving the collection both visual weight and lightness.

Silhouettes—oversized polos, structured suiting, towel skirts, sheer cover-ups—lend variety. Proportions stretch and relax, uniforms loosen, sleeves drop, coats drape, revealing not just skin but the space between the movement of garments. There are design moments that feel like snapshots of after-match rest: velour track pieces, relaxed bottoms, big outerwear that protects.

The locker room allows Lacoste to bridge sport, vulnerability, and identity in one unifying space. It gives emotional resonance. Heritage elements aren't nostalgic but recursive. The use of "1927" prints or tennis badges is more than branding—it anchors the brand's story while allowing Kolotouros to shape her own version of Lacoste. Texture and materiality are bold touches. Reflective leathers, organza, terry cloth, sheer overlays—all do more than vary surface; they emphasize contrast between effort and rest, exposure and cover. The collection offers versatile moments: looks that feel runway and statement, but others that feel wearable: polos, suiting, cover-ups that could live off-court.

With so many references to tennis, hooded badges, slogans, branding: there's always a risk of leaning too far into sport-costume rather than fashion proposition. What works in concept, less so in everyday wear. The material contrasts are striking but require precision in light, cut, finish—garments with reflective surfaces or sheer overlays may lose texture in less curated settings. Bright color is exciting, but without enough neutral or softer interludes, the collection might feel visually crowded. The breathing looks are essential to avoid fatigue.

Lacoste SS26 under Pelagia Kolotouros is one of the season's more invigorating showings-a game that plays with its own rules. The designer leans into identity, into heritage, into sport not as costume but as context: where effort meets rest, where victory is both physical and symbolic.

This collection does not simply revive the tennis DNA; it humanizes it. The moments where athletes "undress“— stripping off, peeling back fabric, letting armor become skin— these are Lacoste's most potent. If Kolotouros's Lacoste is increasingly about what one does off the court as much as on it, then SS26 makes that change feel credible.