Lululemon is seeking distance from its billionaire founder Chip Wilson once again after he criticised the athleisure brand for prioritising diversity and inclusion efforts over exclusivity.
The former chief executive told Forbes that making the retailer’s products more accessible was hurting the brand.
“They’re trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody,” said Wilson.
“I think the definition of a brand is that you’re not everything to everybody. You’ve got to be clear that you don’t want certain customers coming in.”
The founder added that Lululemon, which expanded its range sizing in 2020, isn’t reaching its potential over a fear of media backlash.
Wilson said he thought the men in the brand’s ads looked “sickly” and the women were “not inspirational”.
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A spokesperson for Lululemon told The Business of Fashion: “Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs.
“Chip has not been involved with the company since his resignation from the board in 2015 and we are a very different company today.”
This is not the first time Wilson has criticised Lululemon’s “whole diversity and inclusion thing”, with him sparking outrage in 2013 over his sexist and fatphobic comments.
The founder implied that women’s bodies were at fault for the brand’s legging becoming see-through: “They don’t work for some women’s bodies.
“It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there.”
Wilson stepped down from his post in December that year and was publicly ousted from the board two years later after his anti-Asian remarks.
He claimed that he chose a brand name with three L’s specifically because the sound does not exist in Japanese phonetics, adding that it was “funny to watch them try and say it”.
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