Alligator bites back

The Campana brothers always had a connection with alligators. Now they've teamed up with Lacoste to add their style to the classic polo shirt .

Twenty-five years ago, brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana set up shop in São Paulo, Brazil, in a bid to produce handmade sculpture, furniture and fashion accessories that were both experimental and environmentally resourceful.

Humberto began the project from his home in a remote and secluded part of the city. Fernando later joined forces with his older brother and they've never looked back.

Most people would not be able to collaborate on anything with their siblings for five minutes, let alone 25 years. I recently met Humberto and Fernando in Paris as they unveiled their latest collaboration, this time venturing into the world of luxury fashion. The brothers teamed up with French brand Lacoste to add their interpretation to the classic Lacoste polo shirt and more interestingly the fashion house's alligator logo. Fernando was quick off the mark. The charming 48-year-old explained the concept behind the project and what the Lacoste logo personally means to them.

"When my brother and I were growing up, Lacoste polo shirts were the highest social symbols in São Paulo. We couldn't buy the shirts in Brazil, so they had to be imported," said Fernando.

Although Lacoste polo shirts were like gold dust during the brothers' formative years, it seemed they were always destined to work with Lacoste. "The river near our house was called 'Alligator' in Portuguese and the town we grew up in used the symbol of the alligator on sign posts and local beverages."

"In 2002, Humberto and I designed a chair composed entirely of stuffed alligator toys for kids," Fernando said.

The Alligator Chair was a huge success and when a representative at Lacoste came across it again, it was clear that although from opposite spectrums of the world, the Campana brothers and Lacoste had something in common.

BROTHERS IN ARMS

Where do you live?

Humberto: Downtown São Paulo, Brazil. It's like a haven inside the big city; quiet and peaceful.

You were both in Dubai and Abu Dhabi recently, what were your first impressions?

Humberto: The lights of Dubai city at night was amazing.

What was the first fashion item you bought?

Humberto: Levi's jeans.

Fernando: Lee jeans.

And when did you get your first Lacoste polo shirt?

Humberto: 1969.

Fernando: 1972.

In which colour?

Humberto: Sky blue.

Fernando: White.

In the past you've collaborated with Brazilian jewellery brand H. Stern. Is there any other South American designers you'd like to work with?

Humberto: Ronaldo Fraga, a fantastic Brazilian shoe designer.

Are there projects that are particularly close to your hearts?

Humberto: I would love to build a garden for a community in Brazil and teach the people how to research plants and learn about the vegetation in their own environment.

What celebrity or personality in the public eye would you like to design something for?

Fernando: I'm going to be very pretentious and say David Lynch.

Humberto: For me, I'd like to create something with luxury crystal brand Baccarat. I love the idea of transparency and the craftsmanship that's involved to create such elegant pieces.

So, you're in Paris for a few days, where do you like to hang out?

Humberto: I like the Museum of Skeletons. I don't like trendy spots, I prefer places that are off the beaten path.

Fernando: I've never been in the Bois de Boulogne, I'd love to go there.

Who are some of your favourite international fashion designers?

Fernando: Dries Van Noten.

Humberto: Martin Margiela.

Who are you wearing today?

Fernando: G-Star jeans, Lacoste shoes, jacket, polo shirt and watch [which I actually bought myself].

Humberto: Camper shoes, Banana Republic trousers and Lacoste polo shirt.

Campanas' Polos

For the fourth Holiday Collector's Series by Lacoste, Fernando and Humberto Campana have created an exclusive range of polo shirts. The shirts are based on the brothers' famed Alligator Chair which shows how the reptiles pile up in mud beds during the dry season in their natural habitat. The Campanas have designed four polo shirts for Lacoste including Anavilhanas (a series of small fluvial islands where the reptiles dwell on the Amazon) and Lianas (depicting vines that grow in trees in the tropical rainforest). The exclusive Super Limited Edition women's offering features a montage of 3,000 Lacoste alligator logos in the form of the original polo shirt.