The iconic crocodile found on the Lacoste clothing brand has long been a trademark of clean silhouettes and sophisticated style. The company has opened a new boutique store located near the Nordstrom entrance on the first floor of Bellevue Square.

The opening marks the first Lacoste boutique in Washington, joining the other 925 Lacoste boutiques around the world.

The brand’s loyal customers will now get their fix of the boutique’s expansive collection of luxury sportswear for men, women, and children. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the brand brings the legendary logo and the world of sport elegance to Bellevue. The recognizable logo is worn by American tennis superstar Andy Roddick, among others.

The vibrant color palette of tennis-inspired attire splashes off the curved, white walls of the store’s interior. A soft glow of color-changing light reflects off the clean white walls along the perimeter of the ceiling. The innovative store design is a collaborative creation by Paris-based Architect Patrick Rubin of CANAL Associates, Furniture and Interior Designer Christophe Pillet, and Lacoste Creative Director Christophe Lemaire.

The Lacoste brand not only is famous for its crisp clothing line but also for its history.

The brand was born out of the talents and vision of Rene Lacoste, a 1920’s Tennis Champion from France. Over the course of his successful tennis career, he won the French Open three times, the Wimbledon twice, and the U.S. Open at Forest Hills twice.

Nicknamed the crocodile, Lacoste began to sport tennis blazers with an embroidered crocodile and later designed a shirt for tennis to beat the heat of the American summers. The famous shirt helped revolutionize men’s sportswear and introduced the legendary Lacoste Polo, making it the first time a logo was placed on the outside of a shirt.

The Lacoste brand has grown from that first shirt design to a three-part collection. The brand carries the active Sports line, the casual Sportswear line and the more sophisticated Club line, distinguished by its high quality fabric and silver-gray crocodile logo.

From fitted polos to polo dresses, the clothing eases the transition from the tennis court to the street. Already a huge sponsor for many tennis players, Lacoste has announced the recent partnership between the brand and the Australian Open in January 2009, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. More than 1,000 uniforms and Lacoste apparel will be worn by officials, linespeople and the Aviva ballkids. Watch for the crocodile logo as it hits the tennis courts this coming year.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425-453-4602 or at llarin@reporternewspapers.com.