Felipe Oliveira Baptista has stepped down as creative director of Lacoste, a role he has held at the heritage French sportswear brand since 2010. Lacoste’s studio will design the next collection — spring/summer 2019 — and a new creative direction for the brand will be announced in the coming months, according to a statement issued by the brand. During his eight-year tenure at Lacoste, the Portuguese-born designer reinterpreted the classic tropes of the brand — the polo shirt and the iconic crocodile logo — to make them relevant to modern consumers. His recent hits include a 2017 Lacoste tie-up with Supreme that sold out in just 16 minutes, and an Endangered Species collection where the crocodile logo was replaced with motifs of endangered species — another roaring success. Baptista has earlier designed for Max Mara and Cerruti, and has also run his own label from 2003-2013, shutting it down to focus on Lacoste. He is yet to confirm what his next move will be.
