by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
December 22, 2024
Lululemon’s founder, Chip Wilson, was called out earlier this year for criticizing the brand’s DEI-focused advertising.
The calls for a boycott of Lululemon could soon resurface following a December incident of alleged racial profiling at a New York City storefront. After a Black woman purchased over $600 in clothing, the store accused her of stealing the items and called in the NYPD to confront the woman. The confrontation was caught on video and is going viral on social media. Social media influencer Tasha K reposted footage of the ordeal. After the police told the shopper she could leave, the outraged woman declared she wanted to return her purchase.
This isn’t the first time the popular athleisure brand has been criticized for racial incidents. Earlier this year, advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion called for boycotts of Lululemon stores due to the anti-DEI remarks its founder once made.
The brand has tried to distance itself from its controversial founder, Chip Wilson. Wilson, who launched the company in 1998, has publicly refuted the need for DEI measures in its stores. Although Wilson stepped down in 2018, his words against inclusive standards still haunt the company and weary customers.
In a January interview with Forbes, he criticized the brand’s “whole diversity and inclusion thing,” specifically in its advertising. He notably deemed the people who modeled their clothing as “unhealthy,” “sickly,” and “not inspirational.”
Furthermore, he emphasized his belief that brands should not cater to all people. He stated the need for a company to showcase that it does not want “certain customers” coming in.
“They’re trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody,” Wilson said of Lululemon. “And I think the definition of a brand is that you’re not everything to everybody. You’ve got to be clear that you don’t want certain customers coming in.”
In light of this, DEI specialists say customers of color should stop buying from brands aligned with this messaging.
“There should be a loud call to action for a widespread boycott of corporations that overtly disparage and label DEI as practices rooted in racism and discrimination,” said Tiffany Brandreth, an organizational psychologist who specializes in DEI, to NBC News. “It’s crucial for anyone who claims to be an ally for DEI to send a powerful message that these regressive values will not be supported that goes beyond mere rhetoric.”
However, Brandeth wants to remind shoppers of their power at the register. She urged them not to patronize stores that choose to undermine DEI’s importance.
“The combined purchasing power of diverse groups is massive, so the boycott doesn’t need to be loud,” she said. “The economic choices of consumers sends a silent yet powerful message on its own. The most impactful way to effect change is by making consequences felt, which is directly through impacting these individuals’ financial gain.”
While Lululemon’s origins remain questionable, the company has tried to state the differences in values from those of its founder. However, Wilson still owns a majority stake in the company, which Forbes values at $4 billion.
“Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs,” explained a statement. “Chip has not been involved with the company since his resignation from the board in 2015 and we are a very different company today.”
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