Lacoste’s “Play With Icons” Campaign: An Audacious Blend of Sport, Art, and Fashion
For years, Lacoste has been closely associated with tennis tradition and quintessential French elegance, yet its newest global brand initiative, “Play With Icons,” elevates that legacy to daring new levels. In the 2025 campaign, the legendary tennis player Venus Williams and renowned French actress Adèle Exarchopoulos join forces to redefine what it means to embody a contemporary icon—inside and outside the realm of tennis.
Captured by esteemed photographer Tyler Mitchell, the campaign is a visual homage to individuality, sophistication, and the lasting bond between athletics and style. Curated by Imruh Asha and set against artistic backdrops crafted by Poppy Bartlett, “Play With Icons” transcends a mere fashion statement—it emerges as a bold declaration.
Venus Williams: A Contemporary Venus
In one of the campaign’s most impactful images, Venus Williams embodies the mythical goddess in a setting reminiscent of Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. She is depicted barefoot on an ornate shell, clad in a sharp white pleated skirt that pays tribute to traditional tennis wear. In her grasp, she holds a shimmering tennis ball, radiating elegance and power. The visual encapsulates the dual identity of Venus—representing both the Roman deity and the seven-time Grand Slam winner—melding sports prowess with artistic flair.
The selection of Venus Williams is intentional. A pioneer in sports and fashion, Williams encapsulates the campaign’s spirit of reimagining icons. Her involvement underscores Lacoste’s dedication to honoring formidable, diverse women who redefine conventional boundaries.
Adèle Exarchopoulos: Transforming Accessories
Conversely, French actress Adèle Exarchopoulos infuses a whimsical, avant-garde twist into Lacoste’s accessory offerings. In a daring styling decision, she showcases the brand’s new Lenglen bag—not slung over her shoulder, but styled as a skirt. This playful, fashion-forward interpretation disrupts traditional styling norms and pays tribute to the brand’s namesake, Suzanne Lenglen, a trendsetting tennis icon known for her bold fashion.
Exarchopoulos’s ensemble exemplifies Lacoste’s knack for blending sports and fashion in surprising ways. Her poised demeanor and unconventional attire embody a new wave of icons unafraid to challenge the status quo.
Art Converges with Sport: A Fresh Visual Dialogue
The “Play With Icons” campaign is a definitive example of visual narrative. Tyler Mitchell’s photography imbues each shot with a rich sense of story and emotion, while the creative direction dissolves the boundaries between fashion editorial and fine art. The campaign’s set design and styling choices elevate Lacoste’s timeless pieces—pleated skirts, polo shirts, and accessories—into emblems of self-expression.
By integrating classical art influences and modern cultural personalities, Lacoste initiates a conversation between history and the contemporary scene. The outcome is a campaign that resonates as both timeless and exuberantly innovative.
A New Era for Lacoste
With “Play With Icons,” Lacoste embraces a fresh chapter in its brand journey—one that acknowledges its illustrious history while boldly advancing into the future. This campaign’s synthesis of sport, art, and style positions Lacoste not merely as a traditional brand, but as a cultural entity that perpetually inspires and redefines.
Whether it’s Venus Williams reshaping athletic refinement or Adèle Exarchopoulos transforming a handbag into a runway statement, “Play With Icons” serves as a reminder that genuine style lies in the power of reinvention. And Lacoste is at the forefront—one pleat, one icon, and one audacious concept at a time.
