Lululemon Co-Founder Steps Down After Controversial Comments

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Lululemon’s co-founder Chip Wilson, has stepped down from his position at Lululemon.  If you remember, earlier this fall he put his own foot in his mouth.  He made remarks saying how “some women’s bodies just don’t actually work” for his company’s yoga pants.   Chip Wilson has now officially stepped down from his chairman position.

Lululemon announced late Monday that they named Michael Casey as the new Chairman of the Board.

They also announced that  Laurent Potdevin, who most recently served as president of TOMS shoes, will be the new chhttp://www.joedolson.com/articles/wp-tweets-pro/ief executive.

Earlier this fall, he published an apology video on YouTube stating that he was sorry for the comments he made on Bloomberg TV about a batch of “too-sheer” Lululemon yoga pants which had accidentally turned into an unintentional peep show to many.

I can’t imagine what he’s going through.  One day he is part of a dominant and successful fitness EMPIRE and then he says something incorrectly and now his life is changed completely.

The media storm that he created was pretty rough.  I have seen some heated comments from women about this topic since then.   Some women feel like he was bashing them and saying his brand was only for those who were fit and that he was discriminating against them.

My opinion of this all of this is simple.  If the pants fit you, wear them.  If they don’t…DON’T wear them and don’t bitch about them not fitting you.

There are stores that are designed towards every body type.  If you can’t fit  into Lululemon clothes don’t come into their stores and complain how they run their business.

Yeah he may have come across like an ignorant jerk in the statement and not as apologetic as we would have hoped in his apology video..but you have to give him some credit for building such a successful empire and he is just sticking to the business model for their brand.  Maybe people just weren’t  ready for such a blunt comment by him.

I think maybe he should have just stepped out of the spotlight and opted to quit talking to the media…instead of stepping down from his position.

Aside from all this PR mess, there has been perceptions that the quality of the expensive clothing line has been going downhill.  From a company that claims that “quality is their core value”, it sounds like something is out of whack.  What a mess!

What are your thoughts?

2 thoughts on “Lululemon Co-Founder Steps Down After Controversial Comments”

  1. I’m kind of in the same boat as you: Go where you know the clothes will fit and flatter you. And I’ll go one further. Don’t even LOOK at the brand, until you find one that you know you love. Opinions differ on so many different levels, so just find what works for you and do it (or buy it, as the case may be).

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  2. THANK YOU!!!! I totallly agree. I mean, you try to fit into an XS when you’re a MEDIUM and complain the pants are too sheer. He did work hard for his empire, the comment did get out of hand.

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