Lululemon Athletica: Chip Wilson

How I Built This · 18 Jun 2018 · 52m

What this episode covers

Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon Athletica, recounts his journey from selling 'barbecue shorts' and snowboard apparel to identifying the yoga trend in the late 1990s. He details the product design decisions, such as using flat-seam machines to prevent rashes and placing the logo discreetly on the waistband, and the guerrilla marketing stunt that launched the brand. The episode also covers the business challenges of scaling, the loss of control to private equity and public markets, and the fallout from his controversial comments during a 2013 product recall.

Mentioned

Companies
Lululemon Athletica, West Beach, Homeless, Moral Snowboards, Dick's Sporting Goods, Nike, Kit and Ace, Spanx
Products
EyePatch Case

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