| Crocodile International Pte Ltd. | |
| Type: | Private limited |
| Founder: | Tan Hian Tsin |
| Founded: | in the Colony of Singapore |
| Industry: | Fashion |
| Location: | 3 Ubi Avenue 3 |
| Hq Location Country: | Singapore |
| Area Served: | Worldwide |
Crocodile International Pte Ltd. or simply Crocodile is a garments company based in Singapore.
Crocodile International was founded in 1947 in British Singapore by Tan Hian Tsin.[1] Tan is an immigrant from Swatow, China whose family has been involved in the garment trade including the manufacturing of knitting machines.[2]
Crocodile would open its first factory in British Hong Kong in 1953. By 2016, the fashion brand has 3,000 outlets in 14 countries.[3]
The crocodile has been chosen to represent Crocodile International's branding for being a "very tough animal" with a long lifespan. This is connected to Tan's vision for the "long life of the company". The logo of Crocodile International features the reptile facing left.[2] The logo was made in 1947 by Tan and is accompanied by his own handwriting.[4]
The brand has faced various intellectual property rights dispute with French fashion brand Lacoste, which features a right facing crocodile, over similarities of their logo.[2] Legal cases has been filed in China,[4] Myanmar, Japan, and the Philippines.[5] [6]
Crocodile International and Lacoste has an existing agreement dated 1983 to have their brands coexist in certain markets.[5]