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Izod Lacoste was a brand name of sportswear licensed to Izod by Lacoste from 1952-1993.
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History of the Partnership
Success
In 1953, David Crystal, the owner of Izod, bought 50% of the rights to market Lacoste in America. The "Izod" brand was already established there. "Lacoste" was added to enhance the brand's prestige and introduce the name to American markets. The resulting union of the two companies was the piqué polo/tennis shirt. When the shirts began to sell well, Crystal decided to keep the combined name. The brand hit its peak popularity in the late 70's and early 80's when the "preppy" look became mainstream, with many nationwide department stores featuring separate "Izod/Lacoste" shops, with jackets, sweaters and a wide variety of other apparel. During this period annual sales reached $150 million for the shirts alone.
Decline
The "preppy" trend cooled in the late 1980s and the brand became overexposed[according to whom?]. The market was also saturated with knock-off replicas. The name was split in the early 1990s when Crystal sought to expand company sales. Lacoste moved upmarket in an attempt to recapture its "elite" status. Meanwhile, Izod was re-introduced as mid-range apparel. While this tactic worked for a short period, it could not support Crystal's company, which was heavily in debt due to poor investments in other brands such as "Salty Dog", and "Gant". The marketing license was ended in the mid-1990s after his company became too financially burdened. In 1993, he sold his 50% share of Lacoste to Sportloisirs S.A. (who originally marketed the shirt in France)). When the company folded shortly thereafter, Izod was sold to the American/British based shirtmaker Van Heusen.
The Present
Izod and Lacoste both continue to produce similar piqué polo shirts, and are often mistakenly believed to be the same company. Izod has had a number of re-positionings in the market place (its current image being mid and upper-market, with its Izod/Luxury line). Lacoste has only recently become available again in the United States, though its current positioning remains entirely upscale. Both brands continue to be popular.
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