Before Serena Williams, before Maria Sharapova, there was Suzanne Lenglen, the French tennis prodigy who dazzled 1920s crowds with a string of victories, in addition to how she moved, dressed, and defied the era’s conventions.
Between 1919 and 1926, she won six Wimbledon singles titles and two Olympic medals and lost only one match as an amateur. Yet she didn’t just serve to win — she served looks. At a time when women were expected to compete in corsets and floor-length skirts, her wardrobe was its own act of rebellion: Pleated skirts, silk blouses, and sleeveless cuts that freed her movement. What she wore was not only practical and fashionable; it was political.
Her style, once labelled “indecent” by the British press, went on to define an era as women soon started following her style. In 1973, Lacoste would design her uniform as a pleated V-neck tennis dress with contrast piping. The design paid homage to Lenglen’s pioneering look and contributed to an ongoing dialogue about the intersection of fashion and sports, a conversation that continues today.
Now, a century later, the French label honours her legacy with the introduction of the Lenglen, a leather bag that distils the elegance of her court couture. Its silhouette draws directly from the pleats of a tennis skirt, with supple folds fashioned out of sheepskin leather that fan outward in clean, architectural lines. It holds its shape without feeling stiff while following the balletic flow of a player’s footwork.
An Enduring Heritage
Few brands understand tennis heritage quite like Lacoste. Since its founding in 1933 by tennis champion René Lacoste, the label has consistently drawn from the sport’s visual language to shape its womenswear, blending athletic precision with a distinctly Gallic insouciance. The brand’s approach is rooted in movement, with an eye on how each piece functions beyond the court.
Today, that same thoughtful approach to womenswear considers not just heritage but the rhythm of daily life. The Lenglen bag promises function and restraint: An optional adjustable strap allows it to be worn crossbody or over the shoulder, while matte, tonal hardware offers quiet cohesion over contrast.
Its proportions are generous enough for the day’s essentials without veering into excess, and it comes in three sizes: Large for those who carry their day with them, medium for everyday ease, and small for just the essentials. The silhouette remains consistent across all — sculptural, pleated, and quietly poised.
The palette follows that same logic. Cristalline (a chalk white), black, Viennois (a tannish-beige) and Burnt Henna (a deep red) form the base, with seasonal colours to follow. These colourways complement any outfit rather than define it. As with Lacoste’s ready-to-wear, the focus isn’t on trend or spectacle but on translating the values of sport — fluidity, autonomy, elegance — into something you can carry, wear, and move with.
Lenglen’s influence stretched far beyond what could be measured in medals or match points. She redrew the boundaries of femininity — not by asking for space, but by taking it. The bag that now carries her name reminds us that elegance, when it’s lived on one’s own terms, never goes out of style.
Photographed by JAYA KHIDIR
Styled by DONSON CHAN
Model AIMEE CHENG-BRADSHAW/Basic Models Management
Make-up Artist RINA SIM
Hairstylist GREGO OH
The Lenglen is available in the Lacoste store at ION Orchard.