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Lululemon Partners With Dalai Lama, Enrages Critics

Lululemon Partners With Dalai Lama, Enrages Critics
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FILE - In this Tuesday, March 19, 2013, file photo, a woman walks past the Lululemon Athletica store at Union Square in New York. The company said Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013 that Lululemon founder Chip Wilson is stepping down as chairman after raising ire with his comments about the body types of potential buyers of the retailer's yoga pants. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Lululemon can't even donate to charity without miring itself in controversy.

The yoga-wear retailer this week announced a partnership with the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, and the move has some consumers upset. Lululemon said in a press release that it will contribute $750,000 to the Tibetan spiritual leader's nonprofit organization over the next three years to expand education initiatives and for "researching the connection between mind-body-heart." The company cited "a common vision for developing the next generation of compassionate leaders in the world" and said that both "are committed to engaging and empowering healthy communities."

But a mob flocked to Lululemon's official blog after the announcement, lighting up the comments section with objections to the partnership, suggesting that the Dalai Lama's name shouldn't be associated with a money-making enterprise. Others complained he's been "hijacked" and turned into a mere corporate marketing tool. Popular women's media website Jezebel suggested that the donation "seems more like penance" by the clothing line for previous PR blunders.

Among the company's missteps: Last spring, quality control issues sparked a recall of too-sheer yoga pants. Then, last fall, co-founder Chip Wilson irked many customers when he said Lululemon's pants "don't work" for some women's bodies. Earlier this month, Lululemon managed to offend the entire city of Buffalo, New York, by making fun of its NFL team.

In a statement posted Saturday on its website, the Dalai Lama Center's chairman Geoff Plant said, "Our recently announced partnership with lululemon athletica is a wonderful example of how alignment of our visions can engage and empower healthy communities. This generous donation will support a variety of initiatives – all rooted in scientific research on heart-mind-body – allowing us to expand our work globally." He added, "The Dalai Lama’s Office was not involved in the donation and was unaware of the arrangement."

Note: This article has been revised throughout from its original version to remove anonymous quotations sourced from the Lululemon website.

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Before You Go

Lululemon Gaffes
The Name Explained(01 of51)
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What’s behind Lululemon’s name? Company founder Chip Wilson has offered an odd explanation. “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," he explained to National Post Business Magazine. "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. It’s kind of exotic for them. I was playing with Ls and I came up with Lululemon. It’s funny to watch them try to say it,” he said. However, The Globe and Mail notes the company’s site says the name was the result of a survey. (credit:CP)
Child Labour Comments(02 of51)
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Back in 2005, Wilson’s comments about child labour “went over like a lead balloon” at a Vancouver conference, according to The Tyee. The site reported:“Wilson told the delegates third-world children should be allowed to work in factories because it provides them with much-needed wages. They also say he argued that even in Canada there is a place for 12- and 13-year-old street youths to find work in local factories as an alternative to collecting handouts.” (credit:P Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)
Ayn Rand Totes(03 of51)
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Lululemon’s ‘Who Is John Galt?’ tote bags were a nod to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, which promotes individualism and capitalism over collectivism. But some customers didn’t appreciate the political message. The company defended the product on its blog:“Chip Wilson, first read this book when he was eighteen years old working away from home. Only later, looking back, did he realize the impact the book’s ideology had on his quest to elevate the world from mediocrity to greatness (it is not coincidental that this is Lululemon’s company vision).” (credit:Lululemon)
Seaweed Slip(04 of51)
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In 2007, Lululemon came under scrutiny for its VitaSea clothing, which the company said was made with seaweed that provided health benefits. A New York Times article challenged the company’s claim and said it found the material showed “no significant difference in mineral levels between the VitaSea fabric and cotton T-shirts.”Independent testing “confirmed the presence of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids in the VitaSea fabric,” a company statement said, but the retailer agreed to remove references to therapeutic benefits of the product. (credit:Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Sheer Insanity (05 of51)
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Lululemon’s too-sheer yoga pants were perhaps the company’s most infamous headache. The company pulled its defective Luon pants from shelves in March 2013, following customer complaints that the pants were see-through. Lululemon said it expected to lose as much as $67 million from the blunder. To make matters worse for the retailer, it was hit with three class-action lawsuits related to the recall. (credit:Benjamin Norman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bend Over?!(06 of51)
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Adding insult to injury? Some customers seeking refunds said Lululemon salespeople asked them to demonstrate the sheerness of their pants by bending over. “I went into my local store to return my Astro pants and Invert crops, both purchased this month. I was asked to BEND OVER in order to determine sheerness. The sales associate then perused my butt in the dim lighting of the change room and deemed them "not sheer." I felt degraded that this is how the recall is being handled,” according to one customer. The company responded, saying it would offer returns “no questions asked.” (credit:AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
Pilling Pants(07 of51)
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Even more quality complaints plagued the company following the sheer pants recall. Shoppers weren’t impressed with yoga pants pilling and seams coming apart. And yes, some still complained that the pants were still too sheer. (credit:Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Chip Wilson On Women’s Bodies(08 of51)
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Wilson put his foot in his mouth when he told Bloomberg TV that "some women’s bodies just actually don’t work" with their products, which have been known to pill or look too sheer.“It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time and how much they use it,” he said. (credit:John Lehmann, Globe and Mail/CP)
Again With The Thighs (09 of51)
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Not long after Wilson’s comment about thighs rubbing together sparked outrage, a Bethesda, Md. shop raised eyebrows when it featured a sign in its window that read: “Cups of chai, apple pies, rubbing thighs?”The brand apologized for the controversial display, saying “We celebrate that thighs rub together -- ours do too.” (credit:Diana Russel, Twitter)
Denim(10 of51)
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Denim(11 of51)
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Denim(12 of51)
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Plaid(15 of51)
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Plaid(16 of51)
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Plaid(18 of51)
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Plaid(19 of51)
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Toques(20 of51)
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Toques(21 of51)
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Toques(22 of51)
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Toques(23 of51)
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Vests(24 of51)
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Winter Boots(25 of51)
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Winter Boots(26 of51)
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(credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb31517e4b0480ca664440f" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="3" data-vars-position-in-unit="8">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33576047@N05/4272005946" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Rachel Medina" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb31517e4b0480ca664440f" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33576047@N05/4272005946" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="4" data-vars-position-in-unit="9">Rachel Medina</a>)
Winter Boots(27 of51)
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(credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb31517e4b0480ca664440f" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="1" data-vars-position-in-unit="6">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7471115@N08/4354362469" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Mr. T in DC" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb31517e4b0480ca664440f" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7471115@N08/4354362469" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="2" data-vars-position-in-unit="7">Mr. T in DC</a>)
Hockey Jerseys(28 of51)
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Hockey Jerseys(29 of51)
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Socks(30 of51)
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Mittens(31 of51)
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Fur(32 of51)
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Fur(33 of51)
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Fur(34 of51)
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One Million Layers(36 of51)
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One Million Layers(37 of51)
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One Million Layers(38 of51)
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One Million Layers(39 of51)
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One Million Layers(40 of51)
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One Million Layers(41 of51)
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Canadian Olympic Mittens(42 of51)
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(credit:<a href="http://olympic.ca/2013/09/10/brace-yourself-winter-is-coming/" target="_blank" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="olympic.ca" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb31517e4b0480ca664440f" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://olympic.ca/2013/09/10/brace-yourself-winter-is-coming/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="0" data-vars-position-in-unit="5">olympic.ca</a>)
The Toque(43 of51)
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Plaid(44 of51)
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Lululemon Pants(45 of51)
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Moccasins(46 of51)
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Mukluks(47 of51)
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Canada Goose Parka(48 of51)
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The Bay + Smythe Blanket Coat(49 of51)
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Roots Sweater(50 of51)
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Roots Leather Backpack(51 of51)
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