The founder of Lululemon has once again gotten himself into the "foot in mouth" yoga pose. Chip Wilson, who started the "athleisure wear" company after taking his first yoga class in 1998, is no longer actively involved with the brand—he stepped down as CEO in 2013 after other controversial comments he made—but his remarks about it continue to make headlines. In an interview with Forbes (paywall) cited by USA Today and CNN, Wilson bemoaned the fact that Lululemon Athletica is "trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody. And 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."
As for which customers, exactly, he might be referring to, his past controversial comments might offer a clue: When some Lululemon leggings were pulled from shelves due to complaints that they were see-through, he said they simply "don't work for some women's bodies," helpfully explaining that "It's really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time." He also once said plus-size clothing items are "a money loser, for sure," due to the use of extra fabric. He's also taken heat for dressing up employees as babies in response to criticism that the company used child labor, and for once saying of the name Lululemon, "It's funny to watch [Japanese people] try and say it."
In his latest comments to Forbes, Wilson also decried Lululemon's "whole diversity and inclusion thing," and said models representing the brand in advertisements look "unhealthy," "sickly," and "not inspirational." In a statement responding to the interview, a Lululemon spokesperson said, "Chip Wilson does not speak for lululemon. 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." (More Lululemon stories.)
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