Eric Dezenhall, CEO of Dezenhall Resources, responds to Lululemon's firing of employees who tried to stop shoplifters by “Making Money.”
Lululemon founder Chip Wilson criticized his former company's “whole diversity and inclusion thing” in a recent interview, claiming the sportswear brand was trying to offer “everything for everyone.”
“They're trying to be like Gap, everything to everyone,” Wilson said in an interview with Forbes published Tuesday. “And I think the definition of a brand is that you're not going to be everything to everyone…You have to be clear that you don't want certain customers to come in.”
He also said the models in the company's advertisements looked “unhealthy,” “sickly” and “uninspiring.”
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Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon Athletica Inc., said his former company tried to be “everything to everyone” with its inclusion efforts. (Taehoon Kim/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Wilson left the company in 2015 after making controversial comments that Lululemon's leggings were not suitable for “some women's bodies.”
“It's more about the friction on the thighs, how much pressure is applied over a period of time and how often they use it,” he added in a comment that was perceived by some as fatphobic.
Wilson made the comments after critics accused the company's expensive leggings of being see-through.
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Wilson has also made other controversial comments in the past, including saying he decided to call the company Lululemon because the “L” sound doesn't appear in the Japanese alphabet and “it's funny to watch them try.” “To say it.” He also blamed the birth control pill for higher divorce rates and wrote in his book “Little Black Stretchy Pants” that he believes work is a good alternative for some children in Asian countries who cannot go to school .
Wilson, who is worth nearly $8 billion according to Forbes, still holds an 8% stake in Lululemon and increased his net worth by nearly $4 billion in 2020 due to the brand's success.
Lululemon said in a statement sent to FOX Business: “Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon and his comments do not reflect the views or beliefs of our company. Chip has not been associated with the company since stepping down from the board in 2015, and we are a very different company today.”
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The spokesperson added: “Lululemon is committed to creating and promoting an inclusive, diverse and welcoming environment across our organization and in our communities. We have made significant progress since launching our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action (IDEA) function and we are proud of the goals we have achieved.”