The founder and chairman of a Canadian clothing retailer is stepping down a month after making controversial comments that appeared to blame customers’ weight for problems the company was facing.
Vancouver-based Lululemon Athletica has been grappling for months with issues regarding the sheerness of its Luon yoga pants.
The pants were pulled from store shelves in April because they were see-through, costing the company millions of dollars in sales. Lululemon blamed the problems on a style change and production issues.
But in a November interview, Wilson ignited a storm of protest by suggesting that production issues may not be the only issue.
“Quite frankly, some women’s bodies just actually don’t work for it,” Wilson said. “It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there.”
Since then, a number of online petitions have surfaced calling for Wilson to apologize.
The company is also battling several legal issues as a result of
the sheer pants issue.
Last Friday Wilson announced he and his wife are donating $8 million to be combined with a $4 million gift from Lululemon Athletica to start the Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Richmond, B.C. The provincial government is matching the $12 million total donation with Kwantlen providing the remainder of what is estimated to be a total of $36 million.
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