Lululemon is hitting the mat this summer, outfitting yoga and Pilates enthusiasts with a new activewear collection built for fluidity, the Vancouver-based apparel giant announced Tuesday.
The news of the collection follows Lululemon naming Nike veteran Heidi O’Neill its next CEO, with O’Neill set to start Sept. 8 and succeeding interim co-CEOs Meghan Frank and André Maestrini.
The move-with-you summer collection leans on Lululemon’s lightweight Nulu fabric, with several new styles pairing it with breathable mesh. Functional details include cinchable hems and drawcord waistbands for movement.
Pieces include the Cotton-Modal Dolman T-Shirt, the Groove Low-Rise Relaxed Cinch Pant, the Align Foldover Relaxed Jogger, the Flow Y Bra, a range of tanks, shorts spanning the Groove Mid-Rise Relaxed Bermuda and Nulu and Mesh High-Rise Studio Short, a Nulu and mesh high-rise studio tight and the ZenMode Mule. The collection sticks to a neutral palette of Walnut Crunch, Willow Leaf and Black, with brighter pops on the ZenMode Mule.
Prices range from $48 to $158.
“This season brings together high performance and high style in a way that feels effortless and expressive,” said Melanie Anayiotos, Lululemon’s vice president of women’s athletic design. “We looked at both vintage yoga wear and our own archives and grounded everything in how our guests are showing up in studios today.”
Anayiotos said the silhouettes were built to allow ease “through every pose, inversion and pulse” — a nod to the range of movement that yoga practitioners and Pilates enthusiasts move through.
While the leggings pioneer is loosening up its fit, it may also be a good time to take a breath. O’Neill’s appointment sent Lulu shares down roughly 12%, while founder Chip Wilson is waging a proxy fight to install three independent directors. In an April 29 letter to shareholders, Wilson accused the board of “brand harvesting” and called O’Neill’s hiring a “doubling down” on a broken strategy.
Lululemon’s board has stood by the pick, noting that O’Neill helped grow Nike from a $9 billion business to more than $45 billion during her 25-plus-year tenure, where she most recently served as president of consumer, product and brand.
“Heidi is an inspiring leader and proven, consumer-driven brand strategist,” Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board, said in a statement.
