Lacoste - The Amazing 2009 Holiday Collector's Series

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Lacoste, as I've said many times on these pages, is a unique and fascinating company.

Lacoste is a family company with a rich history that includes multiple generations of world champion athletes, but they've established a brand that goes beyond fashion or sports. The iconic, little crocodile also represents their commitment to environmental awareness and stewardship through their leadership role in the "Save your Logo" campaign for the preservation of biodiversity on the planet. And, their Pink Croc Collection speaks to their support for Breast Cancer Research.

What you see in the Lacoste brand today are the values of its founder, Rene Lacoste: elegance, tenacity, optimism, and audacity. Traits also reflected in the athletes they sponsor, including Cristie Kerr, Lorena Ochoa and Yani Tseng.

The team at Lacoste is also passionate about art and design and to that end, in 2006 they decided to create a yearly limited edition collector's series, of their renowned polo... and do it in collaboration with artists and designers from outside the fashion world. This would allow for a 'reinterpretation' of the classic shirt, and would challenge the team to adapt their production methods and processes. The result has been three unique and extraordinary collections ...and a fourth, to be available in stores on Sunday.

The 2009 collection was designed by Fernando and Humberto Campana, a delightful pair of Brazilian brothers.

They're industrial designers who find their inspiration in both the natural and urban environments. For this project they were actually inspired by a chair they designed... which itself was inspired by the way Amazonian reptiles pile up in mud beds during the dry season in their natural habitat.

So instead of one crocodile, you'll see clusters of them on these limited edition shirts, 20,000 of which will be available worldwide. There'll also be a Super-Limited Edition shirt made entirely of tiny crocodiles, hand sewn together into a delicate, reptilian lace. In this intricate style there will only be 24 shirts made. 12 for men and 12 for women. The collection is featured on the Lacoste website and additional information about availability and store locations will be posted in the coming days.