Lululemon's Disassociation from Founder's Remarks on the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion
Lululemon's founder sparks controversy once again with his recent criticisms of the company's diversity and inclusion initiatives However, Lululemon swiftly distances itself from these remarks, emphasizing its commitment to promoting a welcoming and inclusive environment
Nearly a decade after leaving the company, Lululemon's controversial founder has reemerged with critiques of the company's diversity and inclusion efforts, prompting the athleticwear brand to publicly disassociate itself from his comments. According to a recent profile in Forbes, Chip Wilson, who founded the yogawear brand in 1998 in Vancouver, British Columbia, expressed dissatisfaction with Lululemon's "whole diversity and inclusion thing."
Wilson expressed to Forbes that the company is striving to emulate the Gap, attempting to cater to a wide range of customers. He emphasized his belief that a brand should not try to please everyone, but rather should clearly define its target audience. Additionally, he critiqued the athleticwear advertisements, describing the featured individuals as "unhealthy," "sickly," and "not inspirational."
Lululemon told CNN that Wilson's views do not represent the company's values or beliefs and that he no longer has any involvement with the company since leaving the board in 2015. The company emphasized its commitment to creating an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment, noting the progress made since launching its Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action (IDEA) function.
Lightning rod for controversy
"We understand that cultivating a more diverse and inclusive organization is a process that requires time and can only be achieved through the ongoing commitment of our leaders and employees," the spokesperson acknowledged.
In 1998, Wilson's first yoga class sparked his inspiration to create comfortable and functional clothing for the activity. This was after he had already founded Westbeach, a company specializing in surf, skate, and snowboard apparel.
"I noticed that the Japanese consumer preferred a name with an L in it, as the letter is not present in the Japanese language. It sounded American," he explained. "So I decided that if I ever started another company, I would incorporate three Ls into its name." And thus, Lululemon was born.
Throughout his tenure at the company, Wilson's controversial remarks appeared to be never-ending.
In an interview with CNN in 2018, Wilson admitted to dressing up as babies with his employees and working with sewing machines to preempt accusations of child labor at Lululemon, calling it a "marketing insurance policy." He stated, "Nobody could accuse us of child labor, because we agreed with it."
Wilson also had a specific ideal in mind for the type of customer that would wear lululemon clothing. Following a recall of some of its black pants, Wilson made a statement to Bloomberg in 2013, saying, "Some women's bodies just don't work for the pants."
He went on to explain, "It's really about the friction between the thighs and the amount of pressure placed on them over time."
After a botched video apology in 2013, he stepped down as chairman of the board of directors.
- CNNs Nathaniel Meyersohn contributed to this story.
