Last month I attended the ever-so-fabulous Lacoste fragrance launch at Vanderbuilt hall, located in Grand Central Station, New York City. My heart beat a million miles a second as I slipped into the dress I created for the event. I was beyond anxious for the night ahead, which proved to be nothing short of spectacular.

            As soon as I entered the exclusive event, I was bombarded with the fact that I knew no one there. However, I shortly realized this was a blessing in disguise. I could now openly stare at the fashionable socialites’ outfits without having to worry about ever seeing them again. After being introduced to a few people, the presentation finally began.            

            Groups of dancers clad in white, blue and green (matching the cologne bottles exactly) Lacoste polos, emerged from the doors surrounding the grand room. Conveniently located at the front of the crowd, I stood front row to the spectacle. The dancers began their routine by bouncing in pairs before launching into an elaborate routine. The dancers were joined by the French rap group The Furious Five and began dancing to the beat of the group’s famous song “The Message”. Even the elite socialites could not hide their excitement, as they pulled out their iPhones and cameras to record the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

            After the incredible performance ended, the room was suddenly hushed as Antoine Delgrange , Lacoste’s global marketing director, stepped upon the podium. Antoine began his speech by introducing a video of the production of La Machine (which can be seen at lamachinel1212.com). Next he unveiled the product itself: the cologne. He pronounced the name of each fragrance, Bleu, Blanc and Vert in an adorable French accent, which did nothing less than intensify the exclusive foreign quality of the brand. He then proceeded to introduce the celebrity of the event, Max Minghella from The Social Network. Max discussed the innovative nature of Lacoste and its creative framework before La Machine was finally presented.

Finally the centerpiece of the event, La Machine L.12.12 was unveiled. Inspired by the history of the brand, the huge structure was meant to represent the engineering influence of René Lacoste’s brand. Composed of geometric hexagons, the modern structure mimicked the skin of Lacoste’s trademark crocodile. A video projected on the structure captured the theme of the event: the transformation of a Lacoste L.12.12 polo into a fragrance bottle. Images of ordinary people splashed across La Machine capturing the concept of a worldwide 20 seconds of fame.  The extravagance of the launch was like nothing I had ever heard of or seen before and  served as my first look into the exclusive fashion industry.

Stay fabulous! 

Noa