The original founder of Lululemon has slammed the company’s ‘whole diversity and inclusion thing,’ ten years since he stepped down after saying birth control caused divorce and blamed women’s fat thighs for the pilling of their yoga pants.
Chip Wilson, 67, who is worth $7 billion, is the top shareholder at Lululemon with a remaining eight percent stake in the fitness fashion brand.
In a new interview with Forbes, the former CEO criticized the company’s recent effort to push inclusivity, claiming the models featured in the brand’s ads appear ‘sickly’ and inspirational.
‘They’re trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody,’ Wilson said to Forbes.
‘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.’
Wilson also expressed skepticism surrounding the brand’s expansion into fashion-focused apparel including men’s dress shirts, which he called ‘appalling,’ arguing that the company should stick to it’s original mission of selling high quality athleticwear that make people feel their best.
Former Lululemon CEO Chip Wilson, 67, criticized the company’s recent effort to push inclusivity, claiming the models featured in the brand’s ads appear ‘sickly’ and inspirational
‘[These clothes are] only selling at a high price because of the Lululemon technical products,’ he said. ‘It ends up being what I call bad profits.’
Wilson stepped down as CEO in 2013 amid controversies surrounding birth control and remarks about women’s bodies.
He is currently diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic disease that causes muscle deterioration.
Despite his circumstances, Wilson – sporting an electric blue tennis polo shirt, mini white running shorts, and Nike sneakers – impressively ran to the interview.
The 6’2 billionaire struggles to walk – moving stiffly and prone to falling over, he told Forbes.
‘Every step that I walk, I have to be very conscious of where my foot is going,’ he said.
Lululemon issued a statement following the interview, distancing the company from Wilson, who despite being the largest shareholder is not involved in the business.
‘Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs,’ the activewear brand said. ‘Chip has not been involved with the company since his resignation from the board in 2015 and we are a very different company today.’
Despite Wilson’s criticism, Lululemon’s stock is still up nearly 60 percent over the past year.
In 2013, he apologized for suggesting that women’s fat thighs were to blame for the pilling of the company’s yoga pants.
In a video posted on the company YouTube, Chip Wilson says: ‘I’m sad for the people at Lululemon. . . that have really had to face the brunt of my actions. I take responsibility for all that has occurred and the impact it has had on you. I’m sorry to have put you all through this.’
His apology comes less than a week after he sparked outrage for saying in a Bloomberg interview about Lululemon’s faulty yoga pants: ‘Frankly, some women’s bodies just don’t actually work.’
Wilson, who established the Canadian company in 1998, upset customers during the 2013 interview when he blamed women’s bodies for the reason why the product was recalled earlier for being too sheer.
Wilson also expressed skepticism surrounding the brand’s expansion into fashion-focused apparel including men’s dress shirts, which he called ‘appalling’
When speaking about how some customers’ complained about the pants’ fabric pilling, Mr Wilson continued: ‘It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time and how they much they use it.’
The founder’s remarks caused Bloomberg TV host Trish Regan to cut in and ask: ‘Interesting, not every woman can wear a Lululemon yoga pant?’
Mr Wilson responded: ‘No, I think they can. I just think it’s how you use it.’
Following that incident, he agreed to step down as chairman but had remained a board member.
Just a few years later, he stepped down from the company’s board in 2015.
Wilson also came under fire for a 2009 since-deleted blog post, linking rises in the divorce rate to the introduction of the birth control pill, and the increased prevalence of breast cancer to ‘cigarette-smoking power women who were on the pill.’
In May, two Lululemon employees were fired for ‘breaking employee policy’ after brazen thieves stole armfuls of expensive yoga gear and they tried to stop them.
Shocking footage shows masked robbers taking merchandise from displays near the front of the store in Peachtree Corners, Atlanta, before rushing out to their getaway car.
The incident happened earlier this month and the Lululemon shop where assistant manager Jennifer Ferguson worked has suffered a spate of robberies.
Her husband Jason Ferguson claimed she was fired after calling the police on the crew of thieves who have hit the store multiple times.
Jennifer and another employee named Rachel Rogers, who were working in the front, claim they were let go for trying to stop them and ‘breaking employee handbook policy’ of not interfering with a robbery.
It comes as stores across the US experience a sharp rise in crime and some major retailers have been forced to shut down shops due to millions of dollars in losses as rampant theft plagues businesses.
In May, two Lululemon employees were fired for ‘breaking employee policy’ after brazen thieves stole armfuls of expensive yoga gear and they tried to stop them. The incident happened at the Lululemon store in Peachtree Corners
Shocking footage shows masked robbers taking merchandise from displays near the front of the Lululemon store in Atlanta, before rushing out to their getaway car
Rachel Rogers said the reason she was fired wasn’t clear besides being told there was a ‘no-tolerance policy’
Jennifer Ferguson (pictured) and Rachel Rogers were allegedly let go for trying to stop the thieves and ‘breaking employee handbook policy’ of not interfering with a robbery
Rogers, 23, who worked as a sales associate, recorded the latest robbery and said the store has fallen victim to the same group of thieves for weeks.
The video shows a masked thief swiping leggings from a display near the front while his accomplice, who is also wearing a mask, holds the door open for him.
An employee is heard saying: ‘No, no, no, you can march back out,’ before the second suspect walks in and grabs more items.
Jennifer, a mother of four, then shouts: ‘Seriously. Get out! Get Out!’ as they try to get the thieves to stop before the pair rush out of the store to their getaway away.
It is said to have been close to ‘the 10th time’ the store has suffered a robbery with no action so the frustrated women reported it to the police for the first time.
They said the thieves would consistently strike around an hour before closing time where they would grab as much merchandise from the racks and tables closest to the door and run out to a getaway car.
But Lululemon has a policy of not interfering with robberies for the safety of their employees.
