Lululemon founder and former CEO Chip Wilson clapped back at his old company's "diversity and inclusion thing," repeating his belief that the brand shouldn't be "everything to everybody."
Wilson, still Lululemon's single largest shareholder with shares worth more than $4 billion, made the comments in an interview with Forbes published Wednesday. He criticized Lululemon's leadership for becoming "like the Gap."
"I think through this whole diversity and inclusion thing that they've become, trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody," Wilson told Forbes. "And I think the definition of a brand is that you're not everything to everybody."
He added, "Lululemon has the opportunity to become a brand, but in order to become a brand you've got to be clear that you don't want certain customers coming in."
For example, he said in the 1990s he didn't want people smoking in his stores, something he said ran afoul to his vision of Lulu as a health-conscious brand. But now, Wilson pointed out company ads of people wearing Lululemon products who appear "unhealthy" and "sickly."
"And right now, they're fearful, they run out, instead of living out of possibility, they live out of the fear of media backlash of not including everybody, and that's just something I don't agree with," Wilson told Forbes.
Lululemon distanced itself from the man whose vision made the yoga wear-maker the seventh-largest apparel company in the world, according to Forbes, saying, Wilson "does not speak for Lululemon," nor do his comments "reflect our company views or beliefs."
"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. We also recognize that becoming a more diverse and inclusive organization takes time and is only possible through the sustained efforts of our leaders and our people. We remain steadfast in our commitment to become a more inclusive and diverse company," a company spokesperson said in a statement to several media outlets.
Wilson's comments are akin to a controversial position that led to him stepping down as CEO and chairman in 2013 and resignation from the board altogether in 2015.
In November 2013, Wilson said during a TV interview that "some women's bodies just don't work for" wearing his product. "It's about rubbing through the thighs and how much pressure there is."
Wilson launched Lululemon in 1998 in Vancouver, Canada.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.