Louise Trotter's guest appearances

Louise Trotter

Fashion Your Seatbelt

The Travelust Podcast

Harp Talk Radio Series Podcast

This North Works

Giuseppe Zanotti

Olivier Theyskens

Joseph Altuzarra

Joey Zwillinger

Anine Bing

Stephen Jones

Dana Thomas

Jeremy Langmead

Nick Wooster

Burak Cakmak

Christian Lacroix

Casey Cadwallader

Jens Grede

Steven Kolb

Gabriela Hearst

OwlTail

Sometimes it just feels like destiny when a designer lands at a fashion house. This is the case for British designer Louise Trotter, who took up the mantle of creative director at Lacoste at the tail end of 2018. Growing up she played a considerable amount of tennis and Lacoste was always her go-to label. Her husband is also a bit of a tennis nut and over the years has built up his own collection of Lacoste pieces that take up considerable room in his closet. But perhaps the most profound connection comes from the one that Louise feels with the founder of the company, René Lacoste. His rebellious decision to become a tennis player on his own terms resonated with Louise, who from a very early age knew she wanted to be a fashion designer, a career path that really wasn’t a consideration for most kids growing up in the north England town of Sunderland. It was René’s moral code and approach to life on and off the courts that Louise connected with. His strategic yet stylish way of playing the game, his sense of fair play, tenacity, and bringing joy into whatever he did, are all values that are close to Louise’s own heart. And it's the reason why, while still riding high after a successful 10-year stint at the label Joseph, she decided to make the leap to Lacoste and become the brand’s first female creative director in the house’s almost 90-year history. Since her arrival at the house, Louise had been quick to put her own stamp on the label. Her signature aesthetic slants to the oversized; be that silhouettes, patterns and prints, or even the iconic Lacoste crocodile. And her approach to the performance wear heritage of the house has been to look at it as creating clothing that “performs” daily. Day in and day out, week after week. Garments that are so well made, flattering, and still maintain a fashion-forward viewpoint that they are the ones that men and women continually turn to. But what I found perhaps most appealing about Louise during our interview was that she is all about the work. She is not a diva designer with an ego that could fill a room. If she doesn’t know about something, say having an encyclopedic knowledge about high tech performance fabrics, she says so, takes steps to educate herself, and is always looking to learn new things. She is one of those “best idea wins” designers. Encouraging her staff to speak up and she has created a workplace that promotes teamwork. For Louise, each collection is a new chapter in a continuous journey of sartorial discovery.After listening to this podcast, and learning about how Louise likes to work, Lacoste is probably going to find itself inundated with resumes from people wanting to learn from a leader who is as open, inclusive, and creative as Louise.

Sometimes it just feels like destiny when a designer lands at a fashion house. This is the case for British designer Louise Trotter, who took up the mantle of creative director at Lacoste at the tail end of 2018. Growing up she played a considerable amount of tennis and Lacoste was always her go-to label. Her husband is also a bit of a tennis nut and over the years has built up his own collection of Lacoste pieces that take up considerable room in his closet. But perhaps the most profound connection comes from the one that Louise feels with the founder of the company, René Lacoste. His rebellious decision to become a tennis player on his own terms resonated with Louise, who from a very early age knew she wanted to be a fashion designer, a career path that really wasn’t a consideration for most kids growing up in the north England town of Sunderland. It was René’s moral code and approach to life on and off the courts that Louise connected with. His strategic yet stylish way of playing the game, his sense of fair play, tenacity, and bringing joy into whatever he did, are all values that are close to Louise’s own heart. And it's the reason why, while still riding high after a successful 10-year stint at the label Joseph, she decided to make the leap to Lacoste and become the brand’s first female creative director in the house’s almost 90-year history. Since her arrival at the house, Louise had been quick to put her own stamp on the label. Her signature aesthetic slants to the oversized; be that silhouettes, patterns and prints, or even the iconic Lacoste crocodile. And her approach to the performance wear heritage of the house has been to look at it as creating clothing that “performs” daily. Day in and day out, week after week. Garments that are so well made, flattering, and still maintain a fashion-forward viewpoint that they are the ones that men and women continually turn to. But what I found perhaps most appealing about Louise during our interview was that she is all about the work. She is not a diva designer with an ego that could fill a room. If she doesn’t know about something, say having an encyclopedic knowledge about high tech performance fabrics, she says so, takes steps to educate herself, and is always looking to learn new things. She is one of those “best idea wins” designers. Encouraging her staff to speak up and she has created a workplace that promotes teamwork. For Louise, each collection is a new chapter in a continuous journey of sartorial discovery. After listening to this podcast, and learning about how Louise likes to work, Lacoste is probably going to find itself inundated with resumes from people wanting to learn from a leader who is as open, inclusive, and creative as Louise.

060 Louise Trotter: Lacoste's First Leading Lady

Louise Trotter grew up in a musical family. Her father was a high school band director and he built her first harp by hand. She had musical training in piano and harp since early childhood, with more advanced studies at Texas Women's University and with Mildred Dilling in New York City. She was harpist with Beaumont Symphony, and Baytown Symphony for a number of years. Her interest in modern harmony led to studies with the leading pop and jazz artists in the country. For more information, you can contact Louise at: Louiseharp@comcast.netor go to:www.louisetrotter.com

Louise Trotter grew up in a musical family. Her father was a high school band director and he built her first harp by hand. She had musical training in piano and harp since early childhood, with more advanced studies at Texas Women's University and with Mildred Dilling in New York City. She was harpist with Beaumont Symphony, and Baytown Symphony for a number of years. Her interest in modern harmony led to studies with the leading pop and jazz artists in the country. For more information, you can contact Louise at: Louiseharp@comcast.net or go to: <a href="http://www.louisetrotter.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.louisetrotter.com</a>

Episode 9: Louise Trotter