Lululemon founder slams company’s DEI policies, says promotion of ‘unhealthy’ overweight models has ruined the brand

The billionaire founder of the famous luxury yoga brand Lululemon went scorched earth on the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, which he claims has destroyed the brand through its promotion of "unhealthy" and "sickly" models.

This so-called "body positivity" movement has taken grasp on the fashion industry, replacing fit and healthy models with overweight and obese ones under the guise of "inclusion."

Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon who resigned from the board in 2015 after facing backlash over comments he made stating that "some women's bodies just actually don't work" for the company's brand, said in a recent interview with Forbes that Lululemon is now similar to Gap clothing, it's become "everything to everybody."

"I think the definition of a brand is that you're not everything to everybody," Wilson told Forbes. "You've got to be clear that you don't want certain customers coming in."

"Quite frankly, some women's bodies just actually don't work for [Lululemon pants]," Wilson said, maintaining the same position since his ousting from the company.

This comment was in reference to tights produced by Lululemon that were recalled in the Spring for being too sheer.

Wilson explained, "It's really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there."

A Lululemon spokesperson told the New York Post in a statement that Wilson, who founded the company in 1988, and his comments do not reflect the Vancouver, Canada-based brand.

"Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs," they said. "We have made considerable progress since launching our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action (IDEA) function, and we are proud of the goals we have achieved."

Wilson has a history of politically incorrect controversies dating back to when he came up with the brand's name. In 2004, he told a Canadian Business Magazine that he decided on the name "Lululemon" because it consists of three "L's" which is a sound that is non-existent in Japanese phonetics, according to the New York Post.

"The reason the Japanese liked [my former skateboard brand, Homeless] was because it had an L in it and a Japanese marketing firm wouldn't come up with a brand name with an L in it. L is not in their vocabulary. It's a tough pronunciation for them. So I thought, next time I have a company, I'll make a name with three Ls and see if I can get three times the money," Wilson told the outlet.

"It's kind of exotic for them. I was playing with Ls and I came up with Lululemon. It's funny to watch them try to say it," he said.

Despite Wilson's distaste for the company he created, his estimated $8.81 billion total net worth has reportedly increased by nearly $4 billion since 2020, as a result of Lululemon's gains, which have positioned the company as the seventh-largest apparel business globally, as reported by Forbes.