Lululemon founder's controversial diversity statements

This week, while you were wearing buttery soft clothes Lululemon Billionaire Chip Wilson, founder of the brand, said in a press release: Forbes interview He doesn't want “everyone” in the brand's leggings. “Lululemon is trying to be everything to everyone,” Wilson said. “But you have to be clear that you don't want certain customers coming in.” any to be sure Customer, chip?

But this isn't the first time Wilson, who founded everyone's favorite brand in 1998, has made comments that have landed him in trouble. He resigned in 2013 as president of the company after customers began talking about the bulkiness of his yoga pants. “Quite frankly, some women's bodies aren't actually working for that,” Wilson said in a now-deleted Bloomberg interview. “It's about rubbing their thighs and how much Existing pressure.” When asked if he would say that not every woman can wear Lululemon's yoga pants, he replied, “No, I think they can. I just think that's the way you use them.” Although he had been off the board for a decade, in 2015 he completely removed himself from the brand – except for his stake in it, of course. He has sold three-quarters of his stake in the company, but still owns an 8% stake, and is Lululemon's largest individual shareholder, making his fortune estimated at about $7 billion, according to Forbes.

In the past few years, the brand has tried to distance itself from Wilson. And while the company has been doing just fine without him — featuring more inclusive campaigns that include curvier body types and more diverse genders — Wilson is constantly critical of the brand's new direction, commenting that the people in the new ads look “unhealthy” and “sick.” “, and “Uninspiring”. In 2020, the apparel collection expanded to plus sizes in six core styles, adding up to a size 20. It also expanded to include apparel outside of athleisure, including more contemporary pieces like men's button-down shirts , which Wilson described as “horrific.”

And if the anti-fat comments weren't enough, Wilson told a Canadian newspaper in 2004 National Postal Business Journal He specifically came up with a brand name that contained three L's because the sound does not exist in Japanese phonetics. “It's funny to see them try to say that,” he said..

Lululemon was also investigated when, in 2019, workers making colorful leggings at a factory in Bangladesh (the factory is run by Youngone Corporation, the brand's supplier) claimed they had been verbally harassed and faced threats of physical abuse. And they were paid low wages. And most recently, in November 2023, 14 current and former employees They were interviewed by Business of Fashion. They admitted that the company was not welcoming to blacks and shared the racial discrimination they experienced.

Due to the pandemic surge, the company doubled its revenues from $4 billion to more than $8 billion. the irony? This rise in profits has come on the heels of increased inclusivity in size and advertising, which is exactly the thing Wilson is complaining about.

A company spokesperson stated: “Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect the views or beliefs of our company. Chip has not been involved with the company since resigning from the board in 2015, and we are a very different company today.” The statement went on to say that they are committed to “creating and fostering an inclusive, diverse and welcoming environment.”“