A look from Felipe Oliveira Baptista's first collection for Lacoste, shown today in New York. Photo: Getty Images

At the Lacoste show this morning, there were still the polo shirts and the crisp, tennis court-ready pants that made it a household name—but if the collection proved anything, it’s that the label isn’t afraid of change. The biggest transformation came behind the scenes, with Felipe Oliveira Baptista taking over the reins as head designer. For spring ’12—his first for Lacoste—he made his presence known through inventive silhouettes (think exaggerated armholes), reinterpreted fabrics (the signature pique dress was knitted in silk), and a renewed elegance (even the humble parka looked sharp). “We tried to make it very, very new and exciting,” explained Baptista backstage after the show, counting “the twist on cuts and the color-block” as two of his contributions to the new direction of the label. “But at the same time,” he added, “we took it kind of easy and can still find classic pieces. The traditional customer is always going to have their things.” That’s not the only way that the brand evolved this season; Baptista also downplayed the iconic crocodile logo. “It was because the idea was to make Lacoste something you can wear head-to-toe, and if you wear it head-to-toe, you don’t want 10 crocodiles on your outfit,” he said with a laugh. “It can still say Lacoste without a crocodile.” And while he noted that Lacoste’s roots would always be in tennis, he himself isn’t exactly the sport’s biggest fan. When asked who he was rooting for at the US Open, Baptista just shrugged and smiled.