December 22, 2024
Lululemon founder Chip Wilson was called out earlier this year for criticizing the brand’s DEI-focused ad.
Calls for a Lululemon boycott could soon resurface after an alleged racial profiling incident in a New York store window in December.After a black woman bought more than $600 worth of clothing, the store accused her of shoplifting and called the NYPD to confront her. The confrontation was captured on video and shared on social networks. Social media influencer Tasha K reposted footage of the ordeal.After police told the shopper she could leave, the upset woman said she wanted her purchase back.
This isn’t the first time the popular athleisure brand has come under fire over racial incidents — in fact, diversity, equality and inclusion advocates called for a boycott of Lululemon stores earlier this year due to its founder’s anti-DEI remarks.
The brand has tried to distance itself from its controversial founder, Chip Wilson, who founded the company in 1998. Although Wilson resigned in 2018, his words against inclusive standards still haunt the company and weary customers.
in January interview with Forbes:he criticized the brand’s “entire diversity and inclusivity”, particularly in its advertising. He particularly considered the people who modeled their clothes to be “unhealthy”, “sick” and “uninspiring”.
Furthermore, he emphasized his belief that brands should not cater to all people, stating that the company needs to show that they don’t want “certain customers”.
“They’re trying to be like Gap, everything to everyone,” Wilson said of Lululemon. “And I think the definition of the brand is that you’re not everything to everyone. that certain customers come.”
With this in mind, DEI experts say customers of color should stop buying from brands consistent with this message.
“There needs to be a loud call to action to broadly boycott corporations that openly disparage and label DEI as a practice rooted in racism and discrimination,” said organizational psychologist Tiffany Brandreth. specializes in DEI, to: NBC News. “It is important that anyone who claims to be an ally of DEI sends a strong message that these regressive values will not be supported, that goes beyond mere rhetoric.”
Still, Brandt wants to remind shoppers of their power at the register, urging them not to patronize stores that choose to undermine the importance of DEI.
“The combined purchasing power of the various groups is huge, so a boycott is not necessary,” he said “.
While Lululemon’s origins remain dubious, the company has attempted to mark the difference in its founder’s values.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 the views or beliefs of our company,” the statement explained. :
RELATED NEWS: Former employees claim that Lululemon fosters an anti-black environment in Chicago
