by Bella Cot and Rai Mukherjee
Lululemon, a worldwide athletic brand, has become quite the powerhouse lately as they have taken over the athletic and athleisure fashion industry. Casual, versatile athletic wear has become the standard way to dress in our society among all ages, as this world has endured a global pandemic and is slowly coming back to normal. Athleisure became our uniform over the past year, but Lululemon has been capitalizing on this trend for a long time.
Lululemon began its brand in 1998 in Vancouver, British Columbia as a yoga-inspired athletic apparel brand for both women and men. It became extremely successful, and today, it is a brand that captures the athletic market internationally across more than 490 stores in three main categories: run, train and on the move. These comprise hundreds of activities and sports that are all best performed in the fabrics and blends Lululemon has on the market.
As a brand, they have become known for their famous omega logo on all their merchandise, and it has become globally recognizable. They are known for their infamous leggings and pant walls. These showcase the many iconic styles, which are all carefully arranged in order to demonstrate which activity the product should be used for. This is the first aspect of the brand that took a completely different and innovative step to upgrade the classic legging that almost every athletic brand carries. They made multiple versions of the classic legging, each with a unique purpose. You can buy leggings to simply lounge in or ones to run in.
All of the leggings are made with different materials such as Nulux, Luxtreme and Nulu fabrics, which range from high-abrasion, sweat-wicking, buttery soft to breathable, weightless material. This is the game-changer in the athletic apparel industry. Rather than focusing on thousands of styles and millions of products, Lululemon creates lifelong styles and continues to improve on them for functionality and overall feel. Lululemon chooses specific fabrics that are designed for dynamic use across all activities but also have the ability to be tailored to a specific reason. This ensures that every customer feels that each product was made for them. To further this personal experience, they take fan-favorite materials and use them for other products such as tanks, shirts and long sleeves.
The legging or pants wall is just the beginning of this experience. From there, it’s up to the educator (sales associate) to ensure that each guest finds the best product for them through a more personalized styling session. The educator explains to the customers what each product is meant for and how the different textiles work with that activity. Lulu took the boutique, high-fashion experience and brought it to an athletic space.
The company has been able to retain its following by constantly improving on its classics and introducing products that build on its existing inventory. There is a sense of security knowing that the brand will work on betting products that customers already love. This is also a way for the brand to keep customers coming back for newer products. This interest has come to the point of constant sold-out products especially as new colors are released or new styles come about. Lululemon has created an atmosphere of loyalty and trust with their customers that many brands are struggling to achieve.
Lululemon continues to grow as a brand and worldwide company, not only within the apparel industry but also within the larger fitness and athleisure culture. It strives to include and promote local community ambassadors, gyms and social events. This has not only expanded their brand in an expansive way but also given the company a platform of outreach that has only propelled their success. Lululemon is setting trends for athletic apparel for both women and men. The cost might be high, but it only takes one session with an educator to become a lifelong lemon.
