Felipe Oliveira Baptista

After the torrential downpour that greeted editors on the way into the Lacoste Spring 2013 show Saturday morning, nothing could have been a more welcome sight than Felipe Oliveira Baptista's many variations on a plastic raincoat, whose seams were welded shut.

The rest of the brand's 80th-anniversary collection was similarly modern and forward-thinking. Baptista dug back into the house's archives for direction and took particular inspiration from its work in the '80s. A clean color palette of pure white was accented here and there with yellow, pale blue, and pink, while patterns included everything from rows of folded polo shirts to red clay courts and tennis balls arranged in eye-catching stripes.

"I wanted to find a new way of talking about the anniversary," Baptista explained, "but in a slightly quirky way, so I did that through the prints."

If the imagery was quirky, the clothes themselves exhibited the kind of athletic efficiency expected from a tennis brand. Slim-cut trousers, colorful polo shirts, and body-conscious dresses expressed that point, but luxurious pieces like a leather minidress covered in Lacoste’s trademark alligators elevated the collection beyond mere courtwear.

Touting Lacoste's 80th anniversary, Felipe Oliveira Baptista looked to the brand's archives to deliver a simultaneously crisp yet whimsical print-heavy collection for Spring '13. Vintage tennis racket prints were splattered across a variety of boxy collared tops, louche drawstring trousers, tank tops, and slim-fit polo shirtdresses, providing a cheeky yet tailored nod to the brand's roots. Keeping with the sport chic vibe, Baptista decked out his looks with fanny packs and even provided chic rubber-like tops and raincoats embellished with sharp, preppy collars. The sleekest pieces in the story were Baptista's leather selection; even with the iconic crocodile embossed detail, we'd love to slip into his leather navy wrap dress for our next cocktail party.

• Trends: Leather, oversized silhouettes, ponchos.
• Colors: Navy blue, powder blue, yellow, orange, red, gray, white.
• Key Piece: The navy blue leather wrap dress.
• Accessories: Fanny packs, crisscross leather sandals, tennis racket printed tote bags, leather satchels.
• Who Should Wear It: The modern prepster. Diane Kruger or Zoe Saldana would definitely dare to wear Baptista's polo dresses and boxier silhouettes.

If the snow outside wasn't enough for NYFW attendees, Felipe Oliveira Baptista provided a few snowflakes of his own for Lacoste's Fall runway show this morning at Lincoln Center. As fake snow blew into the audience, Oliveira Baptista set the tone for his sporty chic ski-inspired line. Mixing in the old — Oliveira Baptista referenced uniforms the brand designed for France's 1966 national ski team — with the new, the designer conceived a smart mix of body-conscious pieces fitting for any après-ski occasion. One can easily head to the slopes, or to the cabin, in one of Oliveira Baptista's rugby-meets-ski minidresses and jumpsuits or sport-striped leggings paired with chic oversized parkas and coats. Leather quilted vests and jackets injected a luxurious touch to the overt sportif theme. With a play on fashionable function, Oliveira Baptista experimented with zippers, some of which opened up all the way up to the shoulders to replicate the look of a cardigan tossed over your shoulder, while others served as pockets for hoods disguised as a stylish oversized collar. More details from the collection below.

• Trends: Oversized parkas, colorblock, sporty zipper accents.
• Colors: Blue, red, off-white, gray, navy blue, black.
• Key Piece: We loved the oversized parka jackets and luxurious quilted leather jackets and vests.
• Accessories: Leather platform boots, wool and leather bucket bags, snow goggles/sunglasses, leather gloves.
• Who Would Wear It: Anyone looking for a sporty play on Winterwear or otherwise, heading to a ski retreat or chic après-ski event.

Paris 01/26/09. Photos by Patrick Kovarik/Getty Images.