Lacoste returns to its roots for Paris Fashion Week show at Roland Garros

French brand Lacoste returned to its roots in more ways than one to close out Paris Fashion Week. Not only did the longtime tennis powerhouse stage a show at the event for the first time in three years, but it was held on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros.

Lacoste's show closed out Paris Fashion Week on its final day Tuesday, alongside shows from Chanel, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent. Under the direction of new designer Pelagia Kolotouros, deep browns, rust oranges and forest greens took center stage as models walked an elevated platform at mid-court. Attendees, which included "American Horror Story" star Emma Roberts, Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody, and former Spice Girl Mel C, watched the show from cubicles placed all over the stadium.

There were touches of tennis to be found everywhere in Kolotouros's desgins, from a floot-length green trench coat that *Vogue *noted was reminiscent of a tennis ball or a grass court to pleated skirts that would be just as appropriate on Chatrier in late May. Polo shirts and V-neck sweaters—popular on-court apparel in Lacoste's early days—made a return to the collection in a fresh, new way, and a vintage racquet bag was one of the most eye-catching accessories.

A social media post by the brand said that the collection "re-energizes the brand in the spirit of the young René Lacoste—aka “the crocodile”—who was the world’s number one-ranked tennis player when Paris was the world capital of creativity across the arts."

"Lines twist, angles disappear and curves surprise as she carves out a new path informed by the elegant modernism of the 1920s and 1930s," it added.

But the history isn't the only influence that Kolotouros has taken from tennis. Last year, after her debut show for the brand at New York Fashion Week, she called Venus Williams a "muse," and hailed Novak Djokovic's continued dominance in the men's game as "inspiring."

"She really does encompass a lot of the brand’s values," Kolotouros told *Interview* magazine's Jake Nevins. "It’s a mashup of performance and this freedom of sensuality and body and fashion. She’s just a mix of all those elements in one human body. She’s the nicest person ever. She’s incredibly humble and she’s the kind of person that will ask you, 'Hey, how’s your day?' 'Hey, how’s your French coming?'

"Djokovic, with his stamina, has been able to kill it at this age. So it’s inspiring to see somebody as resilient as the crocodile. I know it sounds a little cheesy, but him being in the game for all these years, and having that kind of deep sense of focus and stamina. His focus is just like razor sharp. ... He gives it his all."