Lacoste L!ve continues its collaboration with the famous Japanese manga team Tezuka Productions.

From Tezuka come three new stories: “Jungle Emperor Leo,” “Crime and Punishment” and “The Phoenix,” all on polo shirts and T-shirts as the first edition.

Osamu Tezuka (Nov. 3, 1928-Feb. 9, 1989) was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practised medicine.

He was best known as the creator of “Astro Boy,” “Jungle Emperor Leo” (“Kimba the White Lion”) and “Black Jack.”

His prolific output, pioneering techniques and innovative redefinitions of genres have often earned him the accolade “God of Manga.” He was considered the Japanese’s answer  to Walt Disney, who served as a major inspiration in his formative years.

Since the death of its founder, Tezuka Productions has expanded the legacy and reach of its manga, commissioning designer Hiroaki Ohya to launch “Astroboy by Ohya” in 1999, a fresh expression presenting messages from the world of Osamu Tezuka through the medium of fashion. Tezuka Productions again tapped Ohya-san for the collaboration with Lacoste L!ve.

Ohya-san handpicked his favorite scenes from six original manga works to create what he calls polo comics: “The stories are developed successively on the cover of the package, the front and sometimes back of the body of the polos and T-shirts and then the back of the package in the order of introduction, development, turn and conclusion,” says the designer. “The sequels can be developed freely by men who wear the shirts.”

Lacoste L!ve is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists Inc. and is located at New Glorietta and Rustan’s Tower Shangri-La Plaza Mall.