As the fashion industry grapples to respond to the war in Ukraine, honouring its people with heart-felt show notes, Russian sanctions, and blunt reenactments at Balenciaga – all of which have received due criticism and praise – Lacoste has announced that it will be donating 100 per cent of its earnings from its AW22 collection to the United Nations’ Ukraine appeal.
Titled Off Grid, this season, Lacoste has chosen to forego a traditional runway show, debuting its collection on the backs of its employees, colleagues, and family members with a lookbook of improvised lift selfies shot at the label’s headquarters. Each piece has been made from left-over fabrics, recycled yarns, ond deadstock waste, comprising techy tennis sweaters, patchworked track tops and varsity jackets, and raw-hemmed sneakers made in collaboration with Helen Kirkum – all of which make up a collage of one-off items.
Beyond supplementing donations made by other fashion organisations, among them LVMH, Valentino, Kering, and Versace, proceeds from this collection will bolster the donations already made by Lacoste to those on the ground in Ukraine. These pieces will be available on a first come, first served basis and because of this scarcity, people should contact [email protected] to make a purchase. Click through the gallery above to see more from the collection.