Lacoste (formerly La Chemise Lacoste) is a French company specializing in the production of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear clothing. Founded in 1933 by André Gillier and René Lacoste following the retirement of the famous tennis player, the brand gained renown with André Gillier’s invention of the knit fabric that became synonymous with the marque. Lacoste has evolved into a group distributing clothing, footwear, accessories, and fragrances. The brand was acquired in November 2012 by the Swiss group Maus Frères Holding, which already held a 35% stake and acquired the remaining shares for an estimated cost of over one billion euros. According to René Lacoste himself, the origin of the brand’s logo (a green crocodile) comes from a bet made by the captain of the French tennis team during the 1925 Davis Cup. While admiring a crocodile skin suitcase in a shop window, the captain promised Lacoste an alligator suitcase if he won an important match. Despite losing the match, a journalist aware of the challenge nicknamed him “the alligator.” The American public then adopted this nickname, emphasizing the tenacity he demonstrated on the tennis courts, never giving up.