Image Source: Chip Wilson’s Official Instagram Page
What Was the Accusation?
Lululemon founder and chairman Chip Wilson faced widespread criticism in November 2013 after suggesting during a Bloomberg Television interview that problems customers experienced with the company’s yoga pants could be related to women’s bodies. The controversy came during an already difficult period for the athletic-apparel company. Earlier that year, Lululemon had pulled certain black Luon women’s pants and crops from stores after determining that their coverage did not meet the company’s technical specifications. Lululemon said the affected products were excessively sheer and represented approximately 17 percent of the women’s bottoms then available in its stores.
During a November 5, 2013 Bloomberg TV interview, Wilson was questioned about continuing complaints involving Lululemon pants, including problems with pilling. Wilson said that “some women’s bodies just actually don’t work” for the pants and referred to “the rubbing through the thighs” and the amount of pressure placed on the clothing over time. His remarks were widely interpreted as shifting responsibility for product problems onto women’s body shapes rather than the clothing itself, prompting criticism that the founder of a company selling women’s athletic apparel was body-shaming its own customers.
Wilson responded on November 8 with a short video statement posted through Lululemon’s YouTube account. In the statement, he said he was saddened by the repercussions of his actions, took responsibility for what had occurred, and apologized for the impact on Lululemon employees. The response generated additional criticism because Wilson did not explicitly retract his comments about women’s bodies or directly apologize to the customers who had been offended. Instead, most of the statement addressed Lululemon employees and the effect the controversy had had on them.
The controversy unfolded against the larger backdrop of Lululemon’s 2013 product-quality problems and leadership changes. On December 10, the company announced that Laurent Potdevin would become chief executive officer and that Wilson would resign as non-executive chairman after a transition period, while retaining a seat on the board. Wilson said that with Potdevin joining the company, he believed it was the right time to begin transitioning out of the chairman’s role.
Key Apologia Strategies:
Mortification, Corrective Action, Bolstering
Video
Chip Wilson’s Statement
Transcript
Chip Wilson Statement (November 8, 2013):
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.
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.
