Lacoste celebrates 80 years with an athletic-inspired collection

If you've ever owned a Lacoste polo shirt, you understand the appeal — especially if it's been washed a couple hundred times. Like a favourite pair of jeans or a great leather bag, they just get better with wear. Thanks to tennis champ René Lacoste, the crocodile's roots are firmly planted in the sports world. But now, 80 years later, how does a classic brand up its cool factor? Enter Felipe Oliveira Baptista, a recent addition to the Lacoste family. Tall, dark and handsome, Baptista prefers his polos in black — and he admits he favours a bike over a tennis racquet. This season he reworked sporty ideas on the runway with a collection that was right on target with the trends of the moment. Graphic prints, head-to-toe whites and crocodile-embossed leather pieces stole the show, and Baptista took the polo dress to a whole new level. "I want to expand the brand into urban territory. My collection is for women who want to look stylish, relaxed and powerful." Sign us up!

Spring slideshow: Our style team's top 10 picks from Lacoste's spring/summer 2013 collection