Chip Wilson still feels strongly about the brand he helped create, and has launched a website dedicated to changing lululemon.
The website, coined “Creativity First lulu,” is calling for immediate change at the popular global athleisure brand.
“Lululemon has lost its way,” the website reads.
“My intention has always been to act in the best interest of my fellow shareholders of lululemon,” said Wilson in a press release.
“This campaign is about safeguarding the Company’s future and a conviction that lululemon’s best years remain ahead, provided the right strategic and governance changes are made quickly.”
The website states the current board can’t implement “needed change,” and Wilson has nominated director candidates he believes have the “visionary leadership” he thinks the brand needs “to restore customer and investor confidence.”
Those candidates include Marc Maurer, former co-CEO of On; Laura Gentile, former CMO of ESPN; and Eric Hirshberg, the former CEO of Activision Publishing.
An ongoing crusade for Chip Wilson
Clem Louineau/Daily Hive
Last fall, Wilson published an opinion piece that he paid to have submitted to the Wall Street Journal about the brand he founded, saying it was in a nosedive.
Wilson’s op-ed stated that while the popular brand still appears good on paper, “it’s losing its soul.”
Lululemon can keep growing, but growth alone is not a healthy measure of success. The true measure must be innovation and brand reputation. When those are strong, growth comes naturally; when they’re not, growth halts. The path is clear, but only with a revitalized board of directors with diverse capabilities,” the opinion piece concluded.
Wilson’s crusade against lululemon goes back further. In a LinkedIn post, he said he’s sad about lululemon’s “slow march to becoming the Gap.”
He also called out outgoing CEO Calvin McDonald.
“Calvin is a good CEO but lacking vision as he allows the lowest common denominator too much leeway in his decision making.”
Lululemon didn’t take kindly to Wilson’s opinions, calling his claims “misleading.”
“We maintain regular communications with our shareholders to understand their perspectives and communicate our strategy, and our Board of Directors and leadership team continue to take actions to achieve our goal of driving long-term growth and shareholder value creation,” the brand said in response to Wilson’s claims.
“Chip Wilson has not been involved with the company for a decade, and he continues to make inaccurate and misleading statements about lululemon, our history, and our Board and leadership team. We are confident in our ability to capture meaningful growth opportunities ahead, and our Board and leadership team remain committed to acting in the best interests of the company and our shareholders,” it added.
Wilson is also engaged in other pursuits. In Vancouver, he recently helped re-launch a popular brand he founded in the ’70s called Westbeach, which gained popularity in the ’80s and ’90s.
Do you think lululemon needs saving? How do you feel about the way Wilson is going about it?