The workout attire of choice for women of a certain means, the revered yoga pant from Lululemon Athletica is also only for individuals of a certain size, according to the company’s founder. Speaking to Bloomberg TV last week, Chip Wilson was asked to respond to complaints that his pricey leggings — which cost $109 — are susceptible to pilling. But rather than discuss fabric or construction he blamed women’s bodies by suggesting that larger ladies and Lululemon don’t mix.
“Frankly, some women’s bodies just don’t actually work for it… They don’t work for some women’s bodies,” he said. “It’s really about a rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time, how much they use it.”
When the segment’s host, Trish Regan, tried to get him to expand Wilson’s wife and former Lululemon head designer, Shannon Wilson, tried to redirect the conversation. “And what’s it being up against?” she asked. “Are you sitting on a cement ground?” Regan, however, wouldn’t let it go.
“Interesting,” she said. “Not every woman can wear a Lululemon yoga pant?”
Which sent Wilson backpedalling, replying, “No, I think they can. I just thin it’s how you use them.”
However, the damage was done, with the clip being sent around social media like a virulent hot potato. It’s the latest in a series of controversies for the beleaguered company, which earlier this year saw its stock price plummet 17 per cent after a massive recall on their pants following complaints that they were see-through. The ordeal eventually led to the resignation of chief executive Christine Day, which was followed by another decrease in stock value.
In July, the company was in the spotlight again after a former employee claimed she was encouraged to leave larger sizes hidden at the back of the store and only showcase the smaller ones. Elizabeth Licorish, who worked at Lululemon in downtown Philadelphia, added that the larger sizes were rarely restocked once they sold out as a part of the company’s strategy to position itself as a brand for the slimmer fitness-conscious consumer. Lululemon doesn’t stock sizes over an Australian 16.
“All the other merchandise in the store was kind of sacred, but these were thrown in a heap,” Licorish said of sizes 14 and 16. “It was definitely discriminatory to those who wear larger sizes.”
It’s unlikely that Wilson’s attempts to remedy the company’s latest PR disaster will help repair Lululemon’s tarnished reputation. Releasing a 53-second video in the wake of his Bloomberg interview, he apologises not for his remarks about women’s bodies but for the impact his words have had on his business and its employees.
“Hello, I’m Chip Wilson. I’m founder of Lululemon Athletica. I’d like to talk to you today about the last few days of media that’s occurred around the Bloomberg interview,” he said. “I’m sad. I’m really sad. I’m sad for the repercussions of my actions. I’m sad for the people at Lululemon who I care so much about, 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.
“For all of you that have made Lululemon what it is today, I ask you to stay in a conversation that is above the fray. I ask you to prove that the culture that you have built cannot be chipped away. Thank you.
From: Sydney Morning Herald