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vowels and Le Coq Sportif are joining forces for a new capsule that brings together the French sportswear brand’s archive and the New York-based label’s understated approach to design.
Le Coq Sportif has been around since 1882, predating the modern Olympics by more than a decade, and its archive runs deep. vowels, for its part, operates through Shu Ha Ri, the idea that a designer must fully absorb a discipline’s fundamentals before they’re allowed to start breaking them. For this project, that meant going straight into Le Coq Sportif’s archive, with vowels filtering what it found through its own design instincts.
The centerpiece is the Wendon, a Le Coq Sportif running silhouette that dates back to the 1960s, it’s also vowels’ first-ever footwear release. vowels kept the shoe’s original proportions intact but rebuilt the upper with an elasticated construction, softening a silhouette that’s always leaned clean and understated. The sneaker arrives in black with subtle co-branding, keeping the overall design relatively pared back. The same restrained approach carries into the accompanying apparel, which sticks to a black, white, and chartreuse color scheme.
The collection includes a black varsity jacket with chartreuse piping and a floral graphic across the back, along with a white crewneck featuring contrast ribbing and Le Coq Sportif’s rooster crest. An oversized raglan tee, technical long-sleeve, wide-leg track pants, matching shorts, and structured cap round out the capsule.
A botanical graphic appears across several of the pieces, adding a recurring visual element to the otherwise minimal color palette.
The project draws from vintage Le Coq Sportif references, with the brands set to display select archival material alongside the collection at vowels’ Research Library in New York.
Yannick Noah fronts the campaign, bringing another connection to Le Coq Sportif’s history. Noah famously wore the brand when he won the 1983 French Open, becoming the first Frenchman in nearly four decades to claim the men’s singles title.
“Le Coq Sportif was with me at the biggest moment of my tennis career, in 1983. Seeing that history picked up by a young house, in New York, and given a new life, means a lot to me. Sport is deeply linked with music and culture, it’s a way of being free. That’s exactly what this collection is about,” says Noah.
The Le Coq Sportif x vowels capsule is now available at the vowels Research Library at 76 Bowery in New York City, on the vowels website, and on the Le Coq Sportif website. Check out the capsule below.
Le Coq Sportif x vowels
Release Date: September 10, 2026
