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After making some very misguided comments about women he claimed were too big to wear Lululemon yoga pants, the brand's founder Chip Wilson has reportedly avoided speaking publicly about the incident since 2013. Wilson took the stage at the International Shopping Centers Conference yesterday where he addressed the controversial statements and took some jabs at Lululemon in the process, according to The Globe and Mail.
He called the television interview where he made the comments that effectively ended his career at Lululemon "the biggest disaster of my life." "I was honest, but, I tell you, I was wrong," Wilson said at the conference. "My life was perfect up until this point and then it became a disaster not only for me but my family and Lululemon." After the comments, the board ousted Wilson from his role as CEO, and he stepped down from the company's board.
Wilson's talk also touched on the current state of Lululemon. "Today, Under Armour is worth three times as much as Lululemon," he said, despite his claims that "Lululemon has a much better business model, makes bigger margins, makes bigger profit." He appeared to call out former CEO Christine Day, although Wilson avoided naming her specifically. According to The Globe and Mail he said that "she" stopped hiring product, quality and innovation experts, adding, "It drove me crazy."
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