The remarks from the founder of this athletic company are not shocking considering he named the company specifically so one group of people he believed would have a very difficult time pronouncing the name of it.

Chip Wilson

Lululemon Athletica

Japanese

Lululemon founder Chip Wilson criticized the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts, expressing disapproval of using certain individuals in ads.

He believes Lululemon should not cater to everyone and compared it to being like the Gap.

Notably, Wilson’s views haven’t changed since his 2013 departure, marked by controversial comments on women’s bodies and yoga pants. Despite his grievances, Lululemon’s stock has seen significant growth.

It’s worth noting that Wilson’s decision to include three Ls in the brand name was influenced by Japanese phonetics, as the sound is challenging for them.

In a 2004 interview with Canada’s National Post Business Magazine, he explained that he deliberately chose a brand name with three L’s because that particular sound is absent in Japanese phonetics.

“The reason the Japanese liked [my former skateboard brand, Homeless] was because it had an L in it and a Japanese marketing firm wouldn’t come up with a brand name with an L in it.

L is not in their vocabulary. It’s a tough pronunciation for them.

So I thought, next time I have a company, I’ll make a name with three Ls and see if I can get three times the money,” Wilson said.

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